stop the mt lindsay mine

Tell Critica Limited: Takayna is no place for a mine

This stunning rainforest in Tasmania’s Takayna / Tarkine is under threat. Tell Critica Limited that Mt Lindsay is no place for a mine.

The engineering consultancy DRA Global has been engaged by Critica Limited to prepare a scoping study for the proposed Mt Lindsay mine in Tasmania’s Takayna / Tarkine. This a first step in a project that would drive the destruction of this globally significant forest landscape.

Learn more

No ordinary mining site

A landscape recognised for its national and world heritage value...but not protected

Mt Lindsay is not an ordinary mining site. The area sits within the Meredith Range Regional Reserve and forms part of the proposed Takayna National Park. In Tasmania, mining and logging is permitted in Regional Reserves.

Both the Australian Heritage Council and the Tasmanian Forest Agreement Independent Verification Group found that the Mt Lindsay area, and the broader Takayna area, met National Heritage values, and the latter found the area met criteria for World Heritage values.

A HAVEN FOR THREATENED SPECIES

Ancient rainforest, Huon Pines and species found nowhere else...at risk

The Mt Lindsay rainforest is home to threatened species and ancient rainforest ecosystems, including stands of Huon Pine thousands of years old.

Tasmanian Devil

Spotted-tailed Quoll

Tasmanian Maked Owl

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Palawa Country

Sacred land, and home to enduring Aboriginal cultural heritage

In addition to being a haven for threatened species, Takayna is also sacred to the Palawa People and home to ancient and enduring Aboriginal cultural heritage sites.

Takayna is
no place for a mine

The fight continues

This proposal carries enormous social licence risk

Thanks to public campaigns by organisations such as the Bob Brown Foundation, thousands of people have taken action to defend Takayna from destructive mining and logging projects.

Critica Limited (formerly Venture Minerals) has been the subject of environmental campaigns, including over its two previous attempts to develop a mine at Mt Lindsay. Protesters have targeted drilling works, investor forums, shareholder meetings and events sponsored by Critica/Venture. The company has also been challenged in the courts on numerous occasions.

Critica has a history of misleading investors and the public, and was convicted on two counts of failing to disclose information required under EPBC approvals. Indeed, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the name change from Venture Minerals to Critica Limited was driven by the reputational damage that had occurred over the company’s previous attempts to develop Mt Lindsay.

Track record

Two previous attempts to develop a mine at Mt Lindsay

Two counts of failing to disclose information under EPBC approvals

Tens of thousands of people have taken action for Takayna

Background

History of Critica aka Venture Minerals: a long-running threat to Takayna

Critica Limited, formerly known as Venture Minerals, has spent nearly two decades attempting to develop a mine at Mt Lindsay.

During that time, the company has faced sustained public opposition, legal challenges and direct action campaigns from people determined to protect Takayna’s rainforests. Previous exploration and development attempts have been met with protests, investor actions, shareholder activism and scrutiny from conservation groups.

The company has also been convicted of failing to disclose information required under federal environmental approvals.

Take action

Mt Lindsay is no place for a mine

Send a message today to Critica Limited and DRA Global, calling on them to properly assess and disclose the environmental, social license and reputational risks of the Mt Lindsay mine proposal.

Together we can make sure that Critica stays out of Takayna for good!

First name(Required)

Last name(Required)

Email(Required)

Postcode

Untitled

Dear Mr Naylor (DRA Executive Vice President) and Tim Lindley (Critica Limited Chairman),
 
I am writing to share information with you regarding Critica Limited’s Mt Lindsay mine project, for which DRA Global has been engaged to produce a scoping study.
  
Mt Lindsay is a globally significant temperate rainforest within Takayna / Tarkine. The entirety of the Mt Lindsay area sits in the Meredith Range Regional Reserve, and is part of the area proposed as the Takayna/Tarkine National Park. Both the Australian Heritage Council and the Tasmanian Forest Agreement Independent Verification Group found that the Mt Lindsay area (and the broader Takayna area) met National Heritage values. The latter found that the area met criteria for World Heritage Values. Importantly, Takayna meets 7 of the 10 World Heritage criteria, which is significant, as being listed requires a site to meet just one criteria, and only two other sites on the planet meet 7 of 10. Put simply, Mt Lindsay, and Takayna more broadly, are World Heritage in waiting and would represent the top tier of World Heritage significance.

No fewer than 11 threatened species and three threatened ecological communities protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 are present at Mt Lindsay.

These are:
   
Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Endangered. The proponent acknowledges the impacts of roadkill and loss of habitat on this species.

Spotted-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus) - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Vulnerable. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows the species or species habitat likely to occur within the area, and the proponent acknowledges its presence.

Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax subsp. fleayi) - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Endangered. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows the species or species habitat likely to occur within the area, and there are two recorded nest sites at Mt Lindsay.

Tasmanian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae castanops) – This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Vulnerable. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows the species or species habitat likely to occur within the area. Calls have been recorded on the site. This species was the focus of the Federal Court decision against MMG’s McKimmie Creek works.
   
White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) – This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Vulnerable. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows the species or species habitat likely to occur within the area. The proponent has previously acknowledged the potential for habitat on the project site.

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) – This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Critically Endangered. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows the species or species habitat likely to occur within the area.

White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster) – This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 under Migratory and Marine listings. The rainforest and the adjacent Wilson River contain nesting and hunting habitat for this species.

Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea subsp. diemenensis) - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Endangered. Salmon Creek and Wilson River are habitat for this species.
   
Fork-tailed Swift (Apus pacificus) - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Migratory. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows the species or species habitat likely to occur within the area.

Epacris glabella (Smooth Heath) - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Endangered. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows records in this area.

Hypolepis distans (Scrambling Ground-fern) - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Endangered. The species is known to exist in the Savage River and Rosebery areas. Mt Lindsay falls between these points and shares characteristics of rainforests and topography.

Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens. - This ecological community is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Endangered. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows this community is likely in this area.

Tasmanian Forests and Woodlands dominated by Black gum or Brookers gum (Eucalyptus ovata / E. brookeriana). - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Critically Endangered. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows this community is likely in this area.

Tasmanian white gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) wet forest. - This species is listed under the EPBC Act 1999 as Critically Endangered. The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water Protected Matters Search Tool shows this community is likely in this area.

Additionally, both the Wilson River catchment and the Stanley River have stands of Huon Pine; a rainforest tree that can grow to 3,000 years old.

Public campaigns by organisations such as Bob Brown Foundation continue to advocate for the protection of Takayna, including the Mt Lindsay temperate rainforests as a National Park and World Heritage Area. A twenty-minute drive from Mt Lindsay is McKimmie Creek, where miner MMG sought to build a tailings dam in the rainforest. Over 3,000 people joined frontline blockades of the site over five years; over 100 people were arrested; and protests and a successful Federal Court case stopped work. MMG selected an alternate site outside of Takayna in early 2026. Over the past decade, over 5,000 people have joined blockades of mining and logging activities in Takayna, making it the largest sustained protest activity since the Franklin Dam.

Put simply, there can be no social licence for mining at Mt Lindsay.
   
Critica Limited (formerly Venture Minerals) has been the subject of environmental campaigns, including over its two previous attempts to develop a mine at Mt Lindsay. Protestors have targeted drilling works, investor forums, shareholder meetings and events sponsored by Critica/Venture. The company has also been challenged in the courts on numerous occasions.

Critica has a history of misleading investors and the public and was convicted on two counts of failing to disclose information required under EPBC approvals. Indeed, it is possible to conclude that the name change from Venture Minerals to Critica Limited was driven by the reputational damage that had occurred over the company’s previous attempts to develop Mt Lindsay.

Mt Lindsay should not be mined.

In forming the scoping study, I trust you will properly disclose and assess the environmental risks of this project, the social license risks, and the significant public campaign that will result from attempts to pursue this folly.

Sincerely,

About

Media

Campaigns

Take Action

Events

Shop

Contact

Donate