Surefire Resources welcomes positive results from Victory Bore environmental study

Surefire Resources’ (ASX: SRN) development plans for the Victory Bore vanadium project in Western Australia have been enhanced with studies suggesting that it may have a clearer path through environmental assessments.

A desktop study of the Victory Bore project area has determined that no subterranean fauna values are expected to impact the project.

Subterranean fauna have increasingly become a focus of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in its assessment of mineral resource projects.

EPA trigger

Managing director Paul Burton said that the presence of subterranean fauna within a mineral resource project area is a trigger for major environmental approvals and assessments by the EPA, which can add considerable cost and, in some instances,  delay projects by several years.

“The positive completion of this specific environmental survey work is crucial in the overall approvals process for the project.”

“We are pleased that there is no subterranean fauna in the project area, which has presented challenges for other projects seeking approval.”

Victory Bore contains one of the largest vanadium resources in Australia with a mineral resource estimate of 464 million tonnes and continues to attract global interest, particularly from the Middle East.

“This again shows that the Victory Bore project is a standout vanadium resource,” Mr Burton added.

Specialist approval

Surefire recently contracted leading Australian environmental and social consultancy Umwelt to provide specialist environmental support for the project.

This followed the completion of a detailed flora and vegetation survey and the desktop fauna survey in 2023.

Umwelt was engaged to advise on the most appropriate approvals pathway for the project.

It determined that it was important for the company to understand at this stage of the project’s development if there was any likelihood of subterranean fauna habitat in the project area.

Desktop assessment

Umwelt subsequently engaged experienced consultants Bennelongia to undertake a desktop subterranean fauna assessment of the project area to determine the likelihood of subterranean habitat occurring within or near the project area.

The assessment, which considered previous biological records, geological and hydrogeological information, confirmed that there is no risk of significant impact to subterranean fauna from the project.

Therefore, it is not expected that subterranean fauna will be a reason to trigger an assessment of the project by the EPA.

This will be confirmed through further review of baseline flora and terrestrial fauna studies by Umwelt as part of an approvals strategy.