A regional Victorian gold mine where a worker died in a rockfall and another was seriously injured reopened the same week the tragedy unfolded.

Mine operator Victory Minerals said the Ballarat Gold Mine reopened last Friday morning, March 15, the day after deceased man Kurt Hourigan, 37, was recovered from the mine.

A second victim, a 21-year-old Ballarat man, remains in the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in a serious but stable condition.

Victory Minerals said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that WorkSafe Victoria had approved the mine to reopen at the beginning of the day shift on Friday.

The ABC understands that under the state's Occupational Health Safety Act, WorkSafe can issue a non-disturbance notice to prevent certain activities occurring at an incident site for up to seven days, as it investigates.

WorkSafe can then issue subsequent non-disturbance notices where necessary. 

'Air legging' suspended 

In the lead-up to the deadly incident, Mr Hourigan and his co-worker were using a handheld mining technique called air legging.

Victory Minerals said air legging at the mine was suspended on Thursday March 14 and will be until further notice. 

The Australian Workers Union (AWU) last week criticised Victory Minerals for conducted this form of mining on unsupported ground. 

AWU Victoria branch secretary Ronnie Hayden said air legging had not been performed at the Ballarat mine for years and said most mines had stopped doing it because it was unsafe.

"They were actually using it to create a tunnel to work in to chase gold," Mr Hayden said.

"Our members have raised concerns about this style of mining and it seems to have fallen on deaf ears."

In a later statement, AWU Victoria said "there will be no air legging going forward".

"The AWU is continuing to work with the company and our organisers are underground today," it said.

Investigations continue 

WorkSafe Victoria and police investigations into the fatal rockfall continue, as the mine operator also conducts its own probe.

The company spokesperson said its investigation will be conducted by a "an external expert".

"So we and our community can be confident it will be both robust and independent," the Victory Minerals spokesperson said.

The company said all employees will continue to be paid if they attend work or "if they require additional time at home to process this tragic event".

According to the AWU, the mine employs 175 people.

The company previously operating the mine entered administration in March 2023, with the AWU alleging worker safety had been compromised under its previous ownership.