Farming is sustainable, mining is not. Farming families are being pushed off their farms for short term mineral sands mining projects. No mining company has proven they can restore the soil to its current productive capacity. The soils in the Wimmera Mallee are fertile, considered largely unconstrained, self mulching and prized for their water holding capacity in our dryland cropping situation. Once the damage is done, the productivity is lost and Australian farms will produce less food for dome