The Donald Project | Australia
The next globally significant mineral sands and rare earths developments
The Donald Project area, 300 kms northwest of Melbourne, includes the Donald and Jackson deposits – Tier 1 reserves of rare earths, zircon and titanium minerals.
Together, these deposits promise significant value through low-risk conventional mining and heavy mineral processing operations. Astron will develop them under respective subsidiaries:
- Donald Project Pty Ltd (trading as Donald Mineral Sands (DMS))
- Jackson Mineral Sands Pty Ltd.
DMS manages the Donald deposit licences, which include:
- Mining Licence MIN5532 (2,778.54 ha)
- Retention Licences RL2002 (24,371 ha)
DMS will develop the Donald deposit in two phases. Phase 1 is MIN5532. Phase 2 is the potential future development of RL2002. Progressing RL2002 to development would require conversion to a Mining Licence and the necessary planning, environmental and heritage assessments and approvals.
Market position
Diverse revenue mix from two product streams – mineral sands and rare earths
1.81 billion tonnes total mineral resource at 4.6% heavy mineral grade
World's largest new zircon source
One of the world's most significant rare earths resources outside China
Valuable heavy rare earths assemblage, including dysprosium and terbium
Scale & grade
Features of the globally significant Donald deposit include:
- 1.81 billion tonnes total Donald mineral resource at 4.6% grade (MIN5532 + RL2002)
- 58+ year mine life over planned two-phase development
- 525 million tonnes mineral resource at 4.0% grade (Phase 1 – MIN5532)
- 309 Mt ore reserve at 4.4% heavy mineral grade for Phase 1
- 27 km² mining lease area
- Light rare earths include neodymium and praseodymium from monazite
- Favourable monazite to xenotime ratio of less than 3:1
Mining and processing
- Shallow, free flowing ore deposit
- Conventional truck and shovel mining
- Conventional and proven processing methods (froth recovery; gravity separation)
- Extensive metallurgical testing provides high confidence of commercial recovery levels (90%+)
- Proximity to all necessary infrastructure, including:
- Power
- Water
- Established transport routes
- Port export facilities
Production profile
Phase 1 annual output – two main products
- 250,000 tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate (third-party processing)
- Premium grade zircon (85%)
- Ilmenite (with average titanium dioxide content of 65%)
- 9,000 t rare earths concentrate (high-quality monazite and xenotime).
- Expanding to 13,000 t in Phase 2
Strategic partnership
- Joint venture with US-listed Energy Fuels Inc
- A$183m contribution for 49% project stake
- Processing of rare earths concentrate at Energy Fuels Inc’s White Mesa Mill, Utah
Development status
- Advanced development stage
- Victorian Government issued Work Plan approval June 2025
- Final Investment Decision targeted 2025
More information
Find detailed project information on our Donald Project website.
Visit Project WebsiteAdvanced regulatory approval status
| Key approval requirement | Completed | Date | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Projects Status | 2025 | 2028 | |
| Work Plan | 2025 | Life of mine | |
| Radiation Licence | 2020 | 2026 | |
| Cultural Heritage Management Plan | 2014 | Life of mine | |
| Mining Licence (MIN5532) | 2010 | 2030 | |
| Water Rights | 2012 | 2041 | |
| Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act | 2009 | 2034 | |
| Environment Effects Statement | 2008 | N/A |
Project mining process
