I assume that Mantle Mining and the Victorian Government are in...

I assume that Mantle Mining and the Victorian Government are in discussion with each other, but – as I have learned in life - one should never assume anything.

Given, the latest economic data showing Queensland and Western Australia storming ahead because of the mining boom, and NSW and Victoria at a standstill, with South Australia and Tasmania going backwards, one would have thought that now is an appropriate time to look at what the Victorian Government and Mantle Mining can do together to develop Victoria’s coal assets.

The previous governemnt spent a great quantity of money on a desalination plant and pipeline. The current government should be doing all it can to ensure the Victorian coal assets receive appropriate priority in Mantle's planning, whether it be financial incentive, scientific support, etc.

Hopefully, someone is thinking strategically.

This is my take on Mantle Mining’s progress. Please correct me if I am wrong.

1: Queensland – Mt Mulligan

In the course of the Queensland court case, Mantle’s tenement managers revealed that Mt Mulligan has been designated as sterile land with the apparent intention of declaring it as a national park.

Mantle Mining says it cannot negotiate the issue with relevant government departments until it is recorded as the tenement holder. Once that is done, its priority will be to lodge enquiries about the national park situation and work with traditional custodians on a strategy to progress the project

2: Victoria – Bacchus Marsh

Mantle Mining believes that there is more brown coal in Bacchus Marsh than expected, The original estimate was between 1 and 2 billion tonnes in the target area, but it now appears that the quantity would be towards the higher end of the estimated range in terms of volume. MNM has yet to do an analysis of the quality of the coal.

Mantle has executed a Pre-JVA with Exergen Pty Ltd to develop the deposit utilising Exergen’s patented Continuous Hydro-Thermal Dewatering (CHTD) technology

Also in Victoria, Mantle has interests in the Latrobe Valley Project area, prospective for both black and brown coal deposits including many historical mines within the Gippsland Basin. The tenements immediately abut the main Latrobe Valley depression. There is a high level of prospectivity that the historic Wonthaggi Black coal seams exist at depth within that project area.