Major twist behind as Geoscience Australia records 3.6 magnitude earthquake near Greater Bendigo

There’s a surprising reason why a 3.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded on Tuesday morning.

The cause of 3.6 magnitude earthquake recorded in the Greater Bendigo region in Victoria has been linked to a nearby gold mine.

The earthquake was captured in the Wellsford State Forest near Barnadown at 6.41am on Tuesday, according to Geoscience Australia.

Fosterville Gold Mine has since confirmed it recorded a mine-induced seismic event.

A 3.6 magnitude earthquake has been recorded near Greater Bendigo in Victoria on November 5, 2024. Picture: Earthquake App

“Mine induced seismicity is quite complex, the mechanisms are similar to an earthquake, however they are related to our mining activities,” a FGM spokeswoman told NewsWire.

“Our people are safe and we have protocols in place to respond to these events underground, which we are currently working through.”

The FGM spokeswoman urged the community to contact FGM if they have any concerns.

“We understand these events can cause concern for the community,” she said.

“We have our dedicated community engagement team available and have set up a marquee in Axedale where the team are available to talk to our neighbours about any concerns they may have.”

The gold mine is located 25 kilometres east of Bendigo.

Meanwhile, a FGM spokesman told ABC a smaller seismic event registering a 2.3 magnitude had been recorded about 1km below the surface in the Phoenix area of the mine on November 1.

Initially the earthquake on Tuesday was recorded at 3.5 magnitude but Geoscience has since been upgraded it to 3.6 magnitude.

Initial reports suggest about 40 people felt the earthquake.

It comes months after a magnitude 4.0 earthquake was recorded in Victoria on August 8, 2024.

FGM has been contacted for further comment.

Originally published as Major twist behind as Geoscience Australia records 3.6 magnitude earthquake near Greater Bendigo