Geology and exploration

Industry and investment

Mining worker inside factory
Key resource opportunities
Licensing and approvals

Victoria has a rich mineral endowment, world class geoscience data and low sovereign risk. The state has long been known as one of the worlds’ major gold producing jurisdictions. Importantly, today it is emerging as a prospective province for critical minerals, copper and other base metals.

Why invest in Victoria

  • Victoria’s historical mining experience has made Melbourne home to some of Australia’s, and the world’s, largest earth resource companies.
  • Victoria has a strong mining equipment, technology and services industry known for driving innovation and collaboration across the global resources sector.
  • Victoria provides free, world-class pre-competitive geological data to industry through the GeoVic online portal, the GSV Catalogue and the Earth Resources publication system.
  • Since the 1850’s gold rush, Victoria has produced over 80 million ounces of gold.
  • The Geological Survey of Victoria estimates that there may be up to 75 million ounces of gold still to be found in northern Victoria.
  • Beyond the central Victoria goldfields, the state is largely underexplored with greenfield opportunities in the east, northeast and northwest regions of the state.
  • Victoria’s strong environmental safeguards and robust regulatory framework offers opportunities for quality explorers wanting to develop positive, meaningful relationships with Traditional Owners and local communities.

Victoria is an emerging critical minerals province

  • Northwest Victoria hosts globally significant deposits of mineral sand, containing rare-earth elements, titanium and zirconium – all critical minerals.
  • Victoria hosts Australia’s only producing antimony mine.
  • Victoria has known resources of copper, magnesium and high purity alumina, plus promising early-stage mineral exploration for other critical minerals, including lithium.

Learn more about Victoria's geological framework.

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Our Resources Victoria newsletter contains the latest information on all areas of the Victorian minerals sector including current minerals initiatives , policy and regulatory updates and geoscience.

Page last updated: 12 Jun 2024