Miner's right permits to become free in Victoria from 2027
Victorian Labor will scrap the $29.40 miner's right permit fee from 2027 if re-elected.
The government has promised to remove the cost of miner's right permits, allowing people to prospect and fossick for gold at no charge from 2027. The permits currently cost $29.40 for ten years, a fee that was due to rise to $41.40 from January.
The permit has been in place since mid-1855, when it replaced gold licenses after the Eureka Stockade. More than 115,000 people currently hold active permits.
Energy and Resources Minister Jaclyn Symes said the policy aims to get more families onto the goldfields to try their luck. The Prospectors' and Miners' Association of Victoria welcomed the move as relief from the about 40 per cent fee increase.
Only hand tools like metal detectors, picks and shovels are allowed, and permit holders can keep any minerals they find, unless it is a fossil or relic.
- $29.40 for ten years
- Current permit cost
- More than 115,000
- Active permit holders in 2026
- 2027
- Policy start date
- Since mid-1855
- Permit history
Why it mattersRemoving the fee makes a historical hobby more affordable for lower-income families who want to explore Victoria's goldfields.
AustraliaVictorians will save $29.40 every ten years if they want to prospect, potentially attracting more families to regional towns where they spend on local businesses.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
