MCA maps mining-led future for regional Victoria
The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has outlined strategies to help regional Victoria grow through mining, highlighting the state’s gold, critical minerals and antimony potential as key drivers of future economic growth
MCA Victoria has released Mining Victoria: A Prosperity Agenda for Regional Victoria, a policy roadmap aimed at unlocking new mining investment, creating regional jobs and strengthening local economies.
MCA Victoria executive director James Sorahan said strong gold prices and rising global demand for critical minerals had created a “once-in-a-generation economic opportunity” for Victoria.
“Mining already delivers strong social and economic benefits in the regions, with gold operations in Bendigo, Ballarat and Stawell supporting thousands of jobs and local businesses,” Sorahan said.
“In advance of the state election on November 28, we are keen for all parties to back Victorian mining and our highly skilled workforce so we can do even more to support families to stay in the regions and providing opportunities for young people.”
Victoria is home to world-renowned goldfields, globally significant resources of gold, mineral sands and rare earth elements, and a major antimony hub at Costerfield that includes Australia’s only operating antimony mine.
Sorahan said unlocking a new generation of gold, mineral sands and rare earth projects by 2035 was both achievable and important for the state’s future prosperity.
“Unlocking a new generation of gold, mineral sands and rare earths projects by 2035 is both realistic and responsible if we want to build a stronger economic base for Victoria,” he said.
The policy agenda outlines four key priorities designed to increase jobs and economic activity in regional communities.
These include reducing mining project approval timeframes to improve investment certainty, encouraging technologies that support exploration and minerals processing, reforming taxes to deliver greater benefits to regional communities, and strengthening school-to-mining pathways to help young Victorians access careers in the sector.
The roadmap comes as the Victorian Government seeks to expand the state’s gold and critical minerals sectors.
While Victoria’s mining history has long been associated with gold following the discoveries at Ballarat in the 1850s, the MCA said the state’s future growth opportunities increasingly lie in critical minerals.
Australian Mining recently spoke with Sorahan, who said Victoria’s established gold sector remained strong, while growing opportunities in critical minerals were positioning the state as an important contributor to national supply chains and international partnerships.
Antimony, in particular, was highlighted as a mineral of increasing strategic importance.