Reported
Person rescued from grain silo in Dunolly
A person was rescued after becoming trapped in a grain silo on Thompson Street in Dunolly, Victoria, on 6 October 2026. The Country Fire…
Agriculture Dunolly, VIC
Record summary
- Date
- Thursday 14 March 2024
- Location
- Ballarat Gold Mine
- Employer or operator
- Ballarat Gold Mine
- Type
- Rockfall
- Deaths
- 1Deceased:
- Injured
- 1On Thursday, 14 March 2024, a rockfall at Ballarat Gold Mine in Victoria resulted in the death of 37-year-old miner Kurt Hourigan and critical injuries to a 21-year-old trainee worker
- Mine type
- underground
- Regulator
- WorkSafe Victoria
What happened
Incident Overview
On Thursday, 14 March 2024, a rockfall at Ballarat Gold Mine in Victoria resulted in the death of 37-year-old miner Kurt Hourigan and critical injuries to a 21-year-old trainee worker. The incident has prompted a comprehensive investigation by WorkSafe Victoria into the mine’s safety practices and ground support protocols.
WorkSafe Victoria was notified immediately and has commenced a thorough investigation focusing on the mine’s supervision, safety measures, and whether appropriate ground support was in place at the time of the collapse.
- Fatalities:
- Deceased:
- Injuries:
- On Thursday, 14 March 2024, a rockfall at Ballarat Gold Mine in Victoria resulted in the death of 37-year-old miner Kurt Hourigan and critical injuries to a 21-year-old trainee worker
- On Thursday, 14 March 2024, a rockfall at Ballarat Gold Mine in Victoria resulted in the death of 37-year-old miner Kurt Hourigan and critical injuries to a 21-year-old trainee worker
- Deceased:
On Thursday, 14 March 2024, a rockfall at Ballarat Gold Mine in Victoria resulted in the death of 37-year-old miner Kurt Hourigan and critical injuries to a 21-year-old trainee worker. The incident has prompted a comprehensive investigation by WorkSafe Victoria into the mine’s safety practices and ground support protocols.
WorkSafe Victoria was notified immediately and has commenced a thorough investigation focusing on the mine’s supervision, safety measures, and whether appropriate ground support was in place at the time of the collapse.
WorkSafe Victoria is leading the investigation, examining the mine’s safety practices, supervision protocols, and ground support measures. Internal documents have revealed that a geotechnical engineer had previously warned management about the risks of proceeding with an air legging trial without adequate ground support, highlighting potential for rockfall-related injuries. An internal memo from management suggested moving away from a “blanket approach” to ground support, citing cost concerns—a decision that has drawn criticism from safety experts and the union.
WorkSafe Victoria is appealing for any workers, contractors or persons with relevant information about safety practices at Ballarat Gold Mine to come forward. Reports can be made confidentially to WorkSafe Victoria on 1800 136 089 or via the online incident-report form at worksafe.vic.gov.au.
In Summary
WorkSafe Victoria is appealing for any workers, contractors or persons with relevant information about safety practices at Ballarat Gold Mine to come forward. Reports can be made confidentially to WorkSafe Victoria on 1800 136 089 or via the online incident-report form at worksafe.vic.gov.au.