Golden opportunity Rescheduled at Lockington

Lockington community members are encouraged to find out more about potential minerals exploration to the east and northeast of Bendigo at an information session on 4 December.

Lockington community members are encouraged to find out more about potential minerals exploration to the east and northeast of Bendigo at an information session on 4 December.

The session to be held at Lockington Bowls Club at 7.30pm will inform locals about a new ground that is open to expressions of interest from minerals explorers through the North Central Victorian Goldfields Ground Release.

The information session replaces another that was planned for 21 November but required rescheduling after a Code Red Day was declared throughout the region.

The North Central Victorian Goldfields Ground Release is a competitive international tender for the right to apply for minerals exploration licences, which closes on 31 January 2020.

Minerals exploration assesses if gold and other metals are present in an area. It involves low impact activities like mapping, rock and soil sampling, surveying and sometimes localised drilling.

Activity is typically focussed on small areas and the chances of exploration leading to mine are very low because few mineral discoveries are commercially viable to develop.

The tender process will assess an explorer’s technical capability as well as their commitment to working closely with landholders, local communities and Traditional Owners.

The sessions will help locals understand minerals exploration, the tender and application processes, landholder rights, explorer obligations and tools assisting land access negotiations.

The safeguards in place to protect the region’s environment, farmland, ecology and places of community importance will also be outlined.

Community members are encouraged to attend an information session to find out more.

North Central Goldfields Ground Release information sessions:

All sessions commence at 7.30pm

Community information sessions were held in Rochester and Elmore this week.

Quote attributable to Earth Resources Acting Executive Director Policy and Programs Jane Burton:

“We’re encouraging locals to come along to find out more about what’s involved with minerals exploration and ask questions about the North Central Goldfields Ground Release.”

Contact: Mark Farrugia

Phone: (03) 8392 6913