It calls on the government to deny a mining exploration licence for the site to stop any future mine from being established in an area stretching from Harcourt to Elphinstone.

Syndicate Minerals has applied for a licence to explore the area for gold, though it is not seeking permission to start a mine.

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It has also applied for licences for a number of central Victorian tracts of land, including near Marong.

Elphinstone Progress Association member John Lewis was concerned about what exploration could eventually mean for the area.

"I think the main concern people here would have is that they simply don't want a gold mine around where they live," he said.

"That's not an unreasonable proposition. We don't want a gold mine here and there's no reason why we should have it."

Many of the nearly 400 people to have signed the petition so far have left messages on change.org's website saying that they are concerned any future Harcourt mine would impact the region's natural beauty and environment.

"It includes fruit and wine growing areas. One can't imagine, should they find gold, how that could co-exist with a mine," Mr Lewis said.

Syndicate Minerals' licence would allow it to explore using geological, geophysical and geochemical surveys.

The company would also be able to sink exploration drills, though it would need landowners' consent.

It would need to get government approval for a work plan addressing environmental risks before it could start exploring, and pay a bond as security against any failure to rehabilitate sites.

Miners would have to rehabilitate any land they disturb while exploring.

Exploration does not always lead to mining. The Minerals Council of Australia estimates that miners have a one in 660 chance of discovering enough gold to make mining viable.

More: Gold explorers stampede into central Victoria, but can they find enough to mine?

Central Victoria is becoming increasingly popular with mineral explorers after miners in Fosterville struck a huge undiscovered goldfield and as experts develop better search methods.

A July Mineral Council analysis found 20 companies scouring 70 tracts of land for minerals in Bendigo Advertiser's readership area.

The Advertiser's patch stretches from Echuca to Kyneton and from Donald to Stanhope.

Syndicate Minerals declined to comment on the petition.

The petition can be viewed here.