Victoria's October 2026 park changes: where you can still prospect

New central west parks opened on 5 October 2026, and prospecting is no longer allowed in several of them. Here's what closed and what's still open.

What changed

On 5 October 2026, Victoria set up new and expanded parks across the central west and at Mirboo North. Prospecting is not allowed in the new national parks, conservation parks and nature reserves.

Closed to prospecting

Wombat-Lerderderg National Park
Mount Buangor National Park
Pyrenees National Park
Hepburn Conservation Park
Cobaw Conservation Park
The new nature reserves

Still open

Prospecting continues in bushland reserves and in these regional parks:

Bendigo Regional Park. Land was added to it specifically to keep prospecting going.
Hepburn Regional Park
Barkstead Regional Park
Blackwood Regional Park
Fingerpost Regional Park
Spargo Creek Regional Park

You can also still prospect in the nearby state forests, including Mount Cole, Mount Lonarch, Musical Gully-Camp Hill, Pyrenees and Trawalla Andrews.

You still need a Miner’s Right, and the usual rules apply.

Why it changed

The parks come from the Victorian Government’s response to the 2021 Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s Central West Investigation. They protect connected habitat for threatened species.

Check before you go

Parks Victoria says it is updating its maps and activity information progressively over the coming months. Until that’s done, check the Parks Victoria fossicking page and the page for the park you’re visiting.