Northgate's Stawell and Fosterville mines, together with Lihir Gold's Ballarat gold mine and Bendigo Mining's Bendigo mine, all signed the agreement during the recent Victoria Underground Mine Rescue competition held in Bendigo.

The agreement signifies a firm commitment by each of the four mines to provide other mine sites with assistance, should they require it, in the event of an emergency.

Assistance may come in the form of mine rescue personnel or equipment required to support response efforts.

The agreement provides a framework under which mutual aid would be provided and includes important administrative aspects such as insurance cover, release of personnel and cost recovery.

Having such an agreement in place significantly strengthens each mine's emergency response capability and ensures that potentially problematic administrative matters associated with providing mutual aid do not unnecessarily complicate response efforts.

Mutual Aid Agreements are present in some Western Australian regions, but this is the first compact in Victoria.

The Minerals Council of Australia's assistant director, Megan Davison, congratulated the four mines for reaching this landmark agreement, which will ensure that in the event of an emergency, emergency response personnel from a number of mines in the region are able to assist with any rescue.

``Partnerships of this type are crucial and we encourage other mining regions across Australia to also consider establishing mine rescue mutual aid agreements,'' Ms Davison said.