Santana Minerals has finally cleared a crucial hurdle in securing land for its Bendigo-Ophir mining project. Last week, the Overseas Investment Office granted approval for Santana Minerals to buy about 3680ha of farm land at Ardgour Station and Bendigo Station, near Tarras, for a total of $80 million. Part of the land will be used in the excavation of an open pit and underground gold mine, and the remainder of the land will be leased back to local farmers. The approval is conditional on Santana obtaining all necessary resource consents to operate the mine. Santana submitted to the OIO earlier this year, claiming the main benefits of the sale to New Zealand were likely to include direct capital investment of over $500m over its 13 to 14-year life span; employment of about 350 people (FTE) a year over the construction and the lifetime of the mine; and stimulation of the local economy through an increase in direct employment and local sourcing of products and services by the mine and its staff.…