THE state opposition is continuing to speak out about a gold royalty it says will rip money away from Heathcote.
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It comes the day after a bid to strike out the royalty failed on the floor of Victoria's parliament.
The "gold tax" is forecast Mandalay Resources' Costerfield mine $1.4 million, Nationals deputy leader Steph Ryan said.
"(It) will leave them with no other choice but to drastically reduce their contributions including investment in local childcare and family services," she said.
"Mandalay Resources were central in establishing a childcare service in Heathcote last year. The mine donated more than $100,000 to help construct the Bunbunarik Children's Hub."
Costerfield miners last year confirmed they could be forced to dip into funds they would otherwise spend on community work and gold exploration.
"At the moment we often spend over when community groups come to us requesting assistance," mine general manager Ryan Austerberry told the Bendigo Advertiser at the time.
"We will probably be more stringent on how we work with that."
However, Mr Austenberry said the mine was prepared for the royalty and stressed that the group would still have an active role backing the community and exploring for gold.
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Costerfield mine workers joined peak advocacy group the Minerals Council of Australia in parliament yesterday for a vote in the upper house over the controversial royalty.
Neither the miners or the MCA oppose a gold royalty.
The MCA says the industry was "blindsided" by the government's announcement last May and that new consultation was need to make sure it suited Victoria, where exploration can be more expensive because the state lacks open cut mines.
It has also warned that the 2.75 per cent royalty, which is tied to the price of gold, could risk jobs and Costerfield and Fosterville's Kirkland Lake Gold mine if the mineral's value drops.
Gold prices were already high before the government announced the royalty and have since risen 25 per cent, with the government wanting to cash in on a gold rush driven by the success of operations like Fosterville's.
The government argues the mineral is the only one the state does not charge miners to take out of the ground and that small mines will not pay a cent.
It says all proceeds from the royalty will be spent on Victorian infrastructure and services and has accused the opposition of prioritising big business interests.
"Victoria's minerals belong to all Victorians, and Victorian taxpayers deserve a fair share of the profits made from extracting gold from their state," a spokesperson said.