Saving our residential bushland spaces

Protect Bendigo’s Residential Bushland: Say No to Gold Mining Exploration

Bendigo’s eastern corridor—from Longlea to Strathfieldsaye—is a unique and cherished place to live. Our community is surrounded by native bushland, thriving ecosystems, and peaceful residential neighbourhoods. This landscape is not just beautiful; it is environmentally significant. Much of it sits within an Environmental Protection Area, home to native plants, wildlife, and forest systems that deserve long‑term protection.Today, this environment—and our way of life—is under threat.

Mining Exploration Does Not Belong in Residential Bendigo

Mining companies are seeking to explore land throughout our community, despite the fact that this is a residential area, not an industrial zone. Exploration activities bring unavoidable and harmful impacts, including:

• Noise pollution from drilling and machinery

• Dust and air contamination affecting homes, schools, and wildlife

• Heavy vehicle traffic on local roads not designed for industrial use

• Risk of chemical exposure from exploration and processing activities

These risks fall on local families, while the profits flow overseas. Bendigo residents would be left to deal with the long‑term environmental damage, reduced liveability, and loss of the natural spaces we value.

We’ve Already Seen the Consequences

The Fosterville mine has been linked to increased seismic activity and pollution concerns around Axedale. Despite community reports and growing unease, meaningful action from local authorities has been limited. This raises serious questions about how future mining proposals would be monitored—or whether community safety would be prioritised at all.

No Social License. No Community Support. No Mining in Bendigo.

Our message is clear:

Mining companies are not welcome to explore or operate anywhere in Bendigo.

They do not have community consent, and they do not have a social license.

Residents choose to live here because of the bushland, the peace, the wildlife, and the sense of community. Mining exploration threatens all of this.

A Call for Leadership and Protection

We are calling on our elected representatives and local authorities to take immediate, decisive action to:

• Protect residential areas from mining exploration

• Uphold the integrity of Environmental Protection Areas

• Prioritise community wellbeing over corporate interests

• Ensure a sustainable, healthy future for all Bendigo residents

Our community deserves strong leadership that stands with residents—not foreign mining companies.

Our Box-Ironbark

Bendigo's unique Box-Ironbark forests are iconic goldfields ecosystems, defined by a mix of Red Ironbark, Grey & Red Box gums, and vibrant wattles, supporting rich biodiversity (like Swift Parrots) and deep Dja Dja Wurrung culture. These fragmented woodlands, rich in history and eucalyptus oil production, feature stony soils, wildflowers, and remnants of gold mining, making them vital natural heritage sites managed in areas like Bendigo National Park and Bendigo Forest Management Area.

Swift Parrots

Swift Parrots are critically endangered and rely heavily on Box-Ironbark forests, like those around Bendigo, for winter food (eucalypt blossoms) and nesting in old hollow trees, with sightings near Bendigo being significant due to their tiny population (around 750 left), facing threats from habitat loss and sugar gliders, making local conservation vital for these colourful, pollen-spreading visitors from Tasmania.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse