Permit to strike it rich

A RECENT find of a two-kilogram gold nugget near Ballarat, and a thirty-five thousand dollar piece in Bendigo by a family walking their dog in May, has raised an interesting issue.

Recreational fossickers must hold a Miner’s Right to keep any gold they find, as without one minerals are owned by the Crown on behalf of all Victorians.

“Good luck to the family who found the nugget near Bendigo, it’s a good reminder to think about purchasing a Miner’s Right if you visit historic gold discovery areas – it could be the best $24.20 you ever spend,” said Anthony Hurst, Earth Resources Regulation’s Executive Director.

A 10-year Miner’s Right is available online from the state government’s Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources.

Bush walkers, grey nomads, family groups out for a day in the country and residents who live in a goldfields area should consider obtaining the permit just in case they stumble across something valuable.

“I think you would be better off spending the $24.20 on a Tattslotto ticket, you would probably have a better chance on Tattslotto than finding a lump like that,” said Bryan Robilliard, President of the Ballarat Branch of Prospectors’ and Miners’ Association Victoria.

“If the family in Bendigo didn’t have a Miner’s Right when they found the nugget, in theory they would have to give it back to the government,” he said.

“I don’t know how the government would reclaim the gold, or if the government would even do it, they might just turn a blind eye and let it go.

“For every prospector with a Miner’s Right there are ten without one.”

Victorian goldfields have the greatest concentration of gold nuggets and have produced more large nuggets than any other field in the world.

The 69kg Welcome nugget was discovered in Ballarat 1858 while in more recent times the 3.7kg Destiny nugget, worth about $500,000 was unearthed in 2012.