Resources Victoria, DEECA Regions and Parks Victoria are working in partnership to help improve emergency responses in some of the most remote parts of the state by better understanding the scale and magnitude of our mining history.
The Former Mines and Quarries Framework Consolidated Database report, released today by Resources Victoria, contains information on 111,000 historic mining sites located across Crown land within Victoria.
Over the past three years the Former Mines and Quarries Framework program has grouped information from 14 sources and created two new datasets. This has uncovered around 75,000 previously unrecorded land features such as old mine shafts and historic workings.
The first of its kind in Victoria, the new database helps manage former mine and quarry land, as well as increase public awareness about what remains in these areas.
Former mining sites can pose safety risks to the public and the information gathered is helping manage risks in these locations.
During the 2024-25 fire season, the database was used to assist Forest Fire Management Victoria to increase the safety of firefighters. It has also been provided to Bushfire Forest Services to promote safety during fuel management activities.
This report is the first in a series providing a more accurate picture of the location, scale, and magnitude of historical mining features on Victorian Crown land. The database will be added to and improved over time.
