If you thought mining was just part of Daylesford’s historic charm, you would be wrong. It’s very much part of the present. The Victorian Gold Company took out mining exploration leases last year for the Wombat Forest. The eases include the area around Daylesford.

Mining Exploration leases taken out by the Victorian Gold Company include large areas of Wombat State Forest surrounding Daylesford as shown in this map.

The Company was established in 2018 “with the initial purpose of revitalising gold exploration around the historic Daylesford mining district … and (to) use modern exploration and evaluation techniques to search for the next generation of gold mines in central Victoria.”

Similar actions by Currawong Resources gave residents of nearby Blackwood a wake up in June when exploration drilling started. Mining pegs have also been spotted near Trentham.

Residents around the Wombat Forest concerned about planned gold mining in the Wombat State Forest have formed a group called ‘No Wombat Gold’.

The ‘No Wombat Gold’ group wants mining banned in the Wombat Forest. There are concerns that habitats for the Forest’s iconic species will be destroyed by mining.

Nor is mining compatible with the natural beauty that draws visitors to the area.

The Fosterville gold mine near Bendigo is a good example of contemporary local gold mining. It produces more that 500,000 ounces per year. The mine and its access roads have an enormous footprint on the environment.

The Fosterville mine stretches for over 6.5 kilometres north-east of Bendigo.

One of the key members of the ‘No Wombat Gold’ group, Phaedra Morris said, “The Fosterville mine is huge. If it were replicated locally it would stretch from Blackwood to Trentham. Is that really the sort of mine that would be acceptable with trucks going in an out and the noise and disruption that would be cause?”

‘No Wombat Gold’ posters have now appeared in Daylesford calling for locals to oppose mining in the Wombat Forrest. The group are calling for an end to mining exploration in the region.

‘No Wombat Gold’ has staged protests and lobbied local and State Government. It has circulated a petition with more than 3000 signatures and presented it to the Minister for Resources, Jaclyn Symes. Ms Symes has yet to respond. The local member Mary Anne Thomas has also been lobbied.

If you are concerned about mining in the Wombat Forest the ‘No Wombat Gold’ group can be contacted through their Facebook page.