Smoky found some stuff.....some are emails from Rossco himself...and others are direct from the act.
Note highlighted area, " Meaning of fossick' this relates to gathering of the material....not how it's processed...this is straight from the act.
Fossicking Act 1994
Note here that Rossco say's, water is permitted, so long as the method of delivery to the device does not involve powered equipment. There is no where in the act that I or others can find substantiating this comment.
This from Rossco.
The use a highbanker/sluice to fossick for gold in Queensland is permitted, however any fossicking materials would have to be fed into the hopper by means other than mechanical devices.
The use of water in a highbanker/sluice is permitted,
The use of power operated equipment (water pump), which includes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, battery and electrical equipment and petrol operated machinery, to fossick for gold is strictly prohibited.
From the act:
5 Meaning of fossick
(1) Fossick means
(a) search for fossicking materials in a systematic or
unsystematic way
(i) on the grounds surface; or
(ii) by digging with a hand tool; or
(b) collect fossicking materials.
(2) However, a person does not fossick merely because the
person picks up a specimen of fossicking material the person
finds by chance when doing something other than fossicking.
From the act:
38 Use of machinery etc. prohibited
A person fossicking under a licence must not use machinery
or equipment (other than a hand tool) to fossick.
Maximum penalty400 penalty units.