Change.org Petition For QLD Fossickers

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Thanks sinhof.....198 now.....let's keep it going, still trying to get some information off the Senior Mining Registrar, Field and Land Access

Brisbane District Office Mineral and Coal Operations on how much land is designated in Warwick for fossicking. A guy told me yesterday on FB from one of the prospecting groups that it is 15,000. So just trying to clarify that. Hard to get a straight answer from any Govt rep.
 
Wow thanks Jen58 and mbasko.....that's great getting there appreciate all the help everyone.
 
cecc said:
Thanks sinhof.....198 now.....let's keep it going, still trying to get some information off the Senior Mining Registrar, Field and Land Access

Brisbane District Office Mineral and Coal Operations on how much land is designated in Warwick for fossicking. A guy told me yesterday on FB from one of the prospecting groups that it is 15,000. So just trying to clarify that. Hard to get a straight answer from any Govt rep.

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/10/7/fossicking-to-be-fuss-free
Following a thorough assessment, we have released three fossicking areas on Durikai and one on Talgai comprising a combined area of almost 5,500 hectares."
 
278 now....come on guys, 6000 members on this forum can we get a few more signatures, and help your brothers in QLD.
 
Well we've stopped at 254 quite disappointing. Out of 6000 members here thought there would have been more support, oh well you can't force people.
 
Thats why i stopped trying mate....5728 members whom dilligaf?
In the process i made myself a target for the department and local council for what???
 
Yeah Yobs, so disappointing aye? Did you get targeted for speaking out?
 
cecc said:
Well we've stopped at 254 quite disappointing. Out of 6000 members here thought there would have been more support, oh well you can't force people.
Needs to be a special button for mods to use in these occasions that allow them to send the same message out to all members at once by pm or email,... if we can't get that working properly amongst ourselves how can we believe ourselves to be a force of numbers to be reckoned with. (I'm about to report my own post to get it some attention).we need to get :mad: angryabout it all to give ourselves the tools within the forum to get the best results possible for ourselves. :D :eek: :D
 
Thanks Silver, that would be good....we need that button....'Mods can u make that happen please?' Yes we need to get serious or we'll just be trampled. Then people will say, "Why didn't somebody do anything"

Listen it's just now QLD....heard the other week from a reliable source that they're even thinking of coming down on sluice measurements in NSW and maybe other states, so we can't be complacent.
 
cecc said:
Well we've stopped at 254 quite disappointing. Out of 6000 members here thought there would have been more support, oh well you can't force people.

I have just signed. I didn't earlier as I assumed you had to live in Queensland as a lot of petitions are like that. My mistake.
I'll share the link around.

Edit: shared to half dozen prospecting and detecting FB groups.
 
I made a bit of noise....questioning the laws trying to get answers just like you have done...meetings with mps local council meetings...Emailing government departments. I was going through the proper channels respectfully...and getting sent back to the bottom after i had already been there...
I got told the same thing time after time contact the law makers...well they dont want to change anything cause they might have to do some work and why do that when they get paid doing nothing now....
They said the costs involved changing a law far out weigh the profit the would make from it?
Price of an independent survey?
A team of government asessors to verify it needed changing?
A report from the dpi that polices prospecting laws ...
And from our good mate Rossco that sounds like hard work on there behalf and it aint happening...
So like many of us that say it wont hold up in the courts i played cat n mouse with them for a year...little did i know they have eyes and ears with mobile phones ...so my papper mache cow got discovered...after i had my fun ofcoarse.
So i settled down and built the rocker which for the first six months looked like machinery to the locals ....hahahaha
Then the council was getting called out checking i was with in the boundries and not on private land...
Its been fun i had nothing better to do so now i teach and encourage anyone and everyone to go prospecting...
Its a hobby its outdoor fun and it just wont get supported because it doesnt make money for some one....rant over lol
 
Thanks AR.

Yeah Yobs what an ordeal, man they did their feet in don't they. Apparently in 2013 I think it was opened up those new area's around Warwick
 
Here's a letter I just got back, sorry for quality hard to convert from PDF to MS Word. Notice he say's the use of mechanical means is the same for all states, first I have heard of that.

Office of the Hon Dr Anthony Lynham MP Minister for State Development and
Queensland
3. Minister for Natural Resources and Mines
Level 17 QMEC Building 61 Mary Street Brisbane QLD 4000 PO Box 15216 City East Queensland 4002 Australia Telephone +61 7 3199 8215 Email sqnrmsministerial.qld.gov.au
6 * FEB 1016
Ref /16/10
S 00349/16
Mr Len Cecchetto
leonard.ceccG)gmail.com
Dear Mr Cecchetto

| refer to your email of 10 December 2015 addressed to the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts and your email of 11 January 2016 addressed to the Honourable Dr Anthony Lynham MP, Minister for State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines about fossicking fees, equipment use and areas for fossicking in south-east Queensland. Minister Lynham has asked me to respond on his behalf.

| acknowledge that each state and territory within Australia has different rules, regulations and fees with regards to fossicking. In Queensland, our fossicking licences have a fee structure which allows the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (the department) to issue licences for a diverse range of recreational circumstances, such as providing licences for families, clubs, educational organisations and commercial tour operators.

The fees for a fossicking licence also enable the department to have the licences available for purchase at additional locations, for example, through local businesses as well as department lodgement centres around the state and the fossicking online self-service portal.

In Queensland, an individual can purchase a fossicking licence for a period of six months for $28.50 which allows searching for and collection of gemstones, ornamental stones, mineral specimens, alluvial gold (including nuggets) and some fossil specimens. The use of electronic metal detectors is also permitted. This is in comparison to Western Australia where the collection of gold and the use of a metal detector are not permitted unless you hold a Miner's Right to prospect. You must pay $25.00 for the Miner's Right to prospect, which is only valid for a three month term and it restricts the size of the area you can fossick.
The Northern Territory does have a fee of $20.00 for life. However, no one may use or occupy a fossicking area for more than 100 days in one calendar year.

South Australia and New South Wales do not require a permit or licence to fossick. However, in South Australia all minerals collected through fossicking cannot be sold as they remain the property of the Crown, therefore you could only fossick for your own collection. Queensland legislation allows the sale and trade of material collected by fossicking through fairs and exhibitions and to other hobbyists. In New South Wales, there are weight limits on the material collected, you may only collect 50 grams of gold (or five nuggets of 10 grams or greater) or 100 grams of gemstones during any single period of 48 hours.

I can confirm that Queensland's legislation concerning the use of machinery when fossicking is consistent with the other states and territories. Similar to Queensland, other states and territories only allow hand held implements including picks, shovels, hammers, sieves, shakers and gold pans when fossicking. In all states and territories power operated equipment is prohibited. Power operated equipment includes mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, battery and electrical equipment and petrol operated machinery is prohibited in all states and territories. You may however, use a high banker in Queensland, as long as it is not mechanically operated and you must ensure that you refill the fossicking site with the fossicking material you remove.

The Queensland Government appreciates the popularity of fossicking as a recreational activity and the value that recreational fossickers place on gaining access to suitable fossicking lands in Queensland. South eastern Queensland has several sites where you are able to pan for gold that are close to the towns of Warwick and Gympie. These sites are the designated fossicking areas of Thanes Creek, Deep Creek, Talgai State Forest and Durikai State Forest.

You have asked the Queensland Government to give consideration to whether or not we can declare Gold Creek at Brookfield, Enoggera Creek and Burpengary Creek as designated gold fossicking areas. DNRM has undertaken a preliminary assessment of these areas including the environmental and cultural heritage aspects of the locations and their present recreational and residential designation and concluded that they are not suitable for recreational fossicking.

Gold Creek is in an urban restricted area and also sits partially within the the DAguilar National Park and the Mt Coot-tha Reserve. National parks are protected areas where mining and fossicking activities are not permitted. Gold Creek and Mt Coot-tha reserve are areas where native title exists in relation to the land and water, which would need to be addressed prior to being made a fossicking area. Furthermore, any fossicker would need to seek permission from the native title owners prior to fossicking in the creek.

Enoggera Creek is also in an urban restricted area and is subject to native title considerations. It also has some of the most advanced regeneration work being undertaken in an urban waterway and the catchment is home to a large number of native fish, reptiles, birds and mammals notably, the platypus.
The extent of Burpengary Creek is in a national park and is included in a large fish habitat protection zone that also encompasses Deception Bay. Panning for gold in Burpengary Creek would currently not be permitted given the environmental significance of the area.

If you have any questions about my advice to you, Mrs Linda McCormack, Project Officer, Service, Training and Regulatory Support, Department of Natural Resources and Mines will be pleased to assist you and can be contacted on telephone 3199.8111.
Yours sincerely
Simon Zanatta Policy Advisor
 

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