Domestic Collaboration Framework Established
VHM Limited has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Currumbin Minerals Pty Ltd, forming a framework for the supply and delivery of high-grade zircon-titania heavy mineral concentrate from VHM’s wholly-owned Goschen Project located in northwest Victoria, and the agreement outlines a joint intention to develop a long-term collaboration for domestic processing.
Currumbin Minerals, which operates a licensed treatment facility in southeast Queensland, will receive HMC from VHM for further processing, and both companies have commenced planning for a proposed collaboration agreement based on this memorandum.
Strategic Supply Chain Development
VHM’s MOU supports its broader strategy to establish a domestic supply chain for rare earths and mineral sands products, and this approach aligns with the Victorian Government’s Critical Minerals Roadmap, while enabling cooperative opportunities with processing partners on Australia’s east coast.
VHM Chief Executive Officer Ron Douglas said,
“The collaboration with Currumbin Minerals is a significant step in VHM’s strategy to build a domestic supply chain for both its rare earths and mineral sands products to further align itself with the Victorian Government’s Critical Minerals Roadmap, whilst supporting further processing opportunities with companies like Currumbin Minerals in Queensland. VHM looks forward to working with Currumbin Minerals and leveraging their extensive experience in the industry.”
Project Approvals Accelerate Progress
The MOU follows regulatory approvals granted in recent months, with the Victorian Minister for Planning endorsing the Environment Effects Statement in December 2024 and Resources Victoria awarding the Mining Licence in April 2025, thus enabling VHM to continue advancing the Goschen Project towards production.
The company has outlined a staged development strategy, targeting first production by Q4 2026, and has already secured full ownership of the land required for the project footprint.
Goschen Project Overview
The Goschen Project is a Tier 1 integrated rare earth and mineral sands development with a globally significant mineral assemblage, and its orebody includes valuable light rare earth elements like Neodymium and Praseodymium, as well as heavy rare earths such as Dysprosium and Terbium.
The project will operate as a dual commodity asset, generating independent revenue streams from rare earths and heavy mineral concentrates, and its shallow-pit truck-and-shovel mining method coupled with a conventional processing flowsheet supports a simplified operating model.
Currumbin Minerals Profile
Currumbin Minerals, established in 1948 and still operated by the Neumann Family, runs a heavy mineral sand processing plant on the Gold Coast and specialises in gravity, electrostatic, and magnetic separation to extract products including zircon, rutile, ilmenite, garnet, tourmaline, and monazite.
The company plays a key role in the Australian critical minerals sector by supplying domestic and overseas markets with processed sands, and its facilities are supported by the Southern Gold Coast Laboratories (SGCL), which provides NATA-accredited testing services specific to the mineral sands industry.
Laboratory Support and Expansion Plans
SGCL ensures reliable and certified results for emerging mining and processing operations, giving stakeholders confidence in product quality and process outcomes, while Currumbin Minerals continues to plan for expansion of its facility with assistance from the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund.
Currently, Currumbin Minerals is the only east coast operator with an active mineral separation facility, and this geographical positioning provides VHM with a logistical advantage in delivering HMC for domestic processing.
Critical Minerals Alignment and Government Support
The collaboration advances both companies’ positions in Australia’s critical minerals supply chain, supporting government initiatives aimed at reducing reliance on international processing and increasing local value-adding capacity for essential resources used in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and defence applications.
VHM’s strategy ensures early market engagement by securing offtake opportunities before production commences, and the partnership with Currumbin Minerals reflects a practical approach to aligning project milestones with customer needs and regulatory expectations.
Future Prospects and Industry Integration
VHM and Currumbin Minerals are continuing discussions to finalise a collaboration agreement based on the MOU’s framework and timeline, and this relationship is expected to deliver mutual benefits while reinforcing both parties’ roles in the critical minerals ecosystem.
The Goschen Project’s development contributes to meeting future global demand for strategic materials, and VHM remains focused on progressing secondary approvals, maintaining development schedules, and strengthening its position through regional processing partnerships.
Corporate Overview
VHM Limited is listed on the ASX under the ticker ASX:VHM, and its corporate office is located at Suite 1, Level 11, 330 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria, while Currumbin Minerals continues its operations from Queensland as a key domestic processor with more than 70 years of industry history.
For further information, VHM encourages contact with Chief Executive Officer Ron Douglas or NWR Communications representative Ben Creagh, as the company prepares to execute the next stage of its development.
