Dredging in Australia for recreational activities IS illegal..

[Nugget]

I'm just going to come and say it for those new to this wonderful and often rewarding hobby. Gold Dredging in Australia is totally illegal.. If you are caught dredging our waterways, there are hefty fines as well as your gear being confiscated, not only that but you'll be doing a huge injustice to ALL Australian prospectors in general.

Cheers,
Nugget

 

[Teemore]

And just to make it clear to all those in Victoria .... guess what, dreging is very illegal down here as well.
They should implement a name and shame system similar to what fisheries did for a while when seizing gear from illegal fishing activities.
Don't let the team down ... don't even consider trying it, we'll all suffer as a result of your inappropriae actions.
Tom

 

[Hurg]

Out of interest, when did it become illegal and what was the driving force behind the legislation?

 

[GoldCheddar2005]

I'm just going to come and say it for those new to this wonderful and often rewarding hobby. Gold Dredging in Australia is totally illegal.. If you are caught dredging our waterways, there are hefty fines as well as your gear being confiscated, not only that but you'll be doing a huge injustice to ALL Australian prospectors in general.

Cheers,
Nugget

However 'what' do they define dredging as?

 

[headbut]

Removal of sediments/rocks from creek/river bed, using a suction/vacuum hose feeding a sluice.

 

[Swinging & digging]

HURG,
To answer your question it was banned in Victoria during 1990, the government made that decision after widespread destruction was occurring to our River's & Creeks.
There was also widespread dispersal of legacy mercury that was locked in the sediments, increased turbidity significant erosion etc. This occurred with 500 or so licensed operators and around 300 mainly interstate illegal ones?

SO THERE IS NO CHANCE IN HELL OF IT BEING ALLOWED AGAIN!

Nugget you could also advise the members of this group about keeping out of exempted steam list waterways and to not dig into stream banks.
This recent rush, ( last 3 years ) has resulted in widespread trouble like unfilled holes from detector operators, digging in banks and a great deal of prospecting in NO GO Zones, it is not looking good while we have asked for new areas and are trying to portray our hobby in a positive light .

 

[Nugget]

Out of interest, when did it become illegal and what was the driving force behind the legislation?

I'm not sure of exactly when it was banned in Australia, but this quote from Wikipedia pretty well sums up the reason why.

Dredging can create disturbance to aquatic ecosystems, often with adverse impacts. In addition, dredge spoils may contain toxic chemicals that may have an adverse effect on the disposal area; furthermore, the process of dredging often dislodges chemicals residing in benthic substrates and injects them into the water column.

The activity of dredging can create the following principal impacts to the environment:

• Release of toxic chemicals (including heavy metals and PCB) from bottom sediments into the water column.[/*]
• Short term increases in turbidity, which can affect aquatic species metabolism and interfere with spawning.[/*]
• Secondary effects from water column contamination of uptake of heavy metals, DDT and other persistent organic toxins, via food chain uptake and subsequent concentrations of these toxins in higher organisms including humans.[/*]
• Secondary impacts to marsh productivity from sedimentation[/*]
• Tertiary impacts to avifauna which may prey upon contaminated aquatic organisms[/*]
• Secondary impacts to aquatic and benthic organisms' metabolism and mortality[/*]
• Possible contamination of dredge spoils sites[/*]
• Changes to the topography by the creation of "spoil islands" from the accumulated spoil[/*]

 

[golddredge]

That's a great subject guys, but don't let my screen name fool you. I totally agree with the law it just isn't worth it. But really what is everyone's views on dredging?? Why is it illegal is it a profitable enterprise that our government can get there sticky fingers in or what..I've seen blokes using a 8 inch in new Zealand and let me tell you the amount of fish that they attracted .. so are there benefits???

 

[G0lddigg@]

Hey golddredge

Im sure some rocks will be thrown but as a fisherman and prospector I read alot of studies on the effects of dredging and sluicing and the effects on our waterways. Dredging was by the far the least impactive method of gold extraction. The interesting lesson I got from the usual argument that sediment ruined fish stocks was that in fact the fine sediment being redeposited on the surface in creeks and rivers allows fish to attach more eggs and propogate more efficiently.
One report I read gave credit to the gold rush in victoria to the success of trout introduction which was off the back of the failing salmon intro. Personally I wish we had have focused on our own native species.

I can only speculate that just like all activities im sure there were good operators and bad operators and I can Imagine many banks where collapsed for their gold back in the day.

If dredging was allowed id be off to buy a wetsuit to tommorrow but as ut isn't dont take the risk! !!

 

[Paydirt]

Does it include using a water jet to remove dirt?

 

[Guest]

Yes you can't hydraulic sluice or mine either. Besides the huge amount of turbidity it makes, which a requirement of fossicking is to be kept to a minimum, it is a mechanical means of excavation & is also not allowed under the rules/regulations. Plus it mostly requires washing away/undermining banks also not allowed.

New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

MINING REGULATION 2010 - REG 12

Fossicking

12 Fossicking

(1) Any soil, rock or other material that is disturbed in the course of work carried out for the purpose of fossicking for minerals must:
(a) be removed and stockpiled separately, and
(b)aftercompletion of the work, be replaced in order to reconstruct the original soil profile.Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(2) A person must not carry out work that includes any of the following activities for the purpose of fossicking:
(a) the use of any equipment other than hand-held implements on any land or waters that is subject to native title,
(b) the excavation or clearing of any land or waters that is subject to native title,
(c) the use ofpower-operated equipmentfor the purpose of surface disturbance, excavation or processing on any land,
(d) the use of explosives on any land,
(e) the damage or removal of any bushrock,
(f) the removal of more than theprescribed amountof material from any land during any single period of 48 hours,
(g) the disturbance of more than 1 cubic metre of any soil, rock or other material during any single period of 48 hours.Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
Note:The language of part of this subclause mirrors the language of part of section 24LA (Low impact future acts) of theNative Title Act1993of the Commonwealth. That section refers, in part, to an act (in relation to particular land or waters) that does not consist of, authorise or otherwise involve the excavation or clearing of any of the land or waters or mining (other than fossicking by using hand-held implements).
(3) In thisclause:
"gemstone"means a Group 6 or Group 7 mineral.Note:Group 6 and Group 7 minerals are listed in Schedule 2.
"power-operated equipment"means any equipment powered by mechanical or electrical means.
"prescribed amount", in relation to material, means:
(a) 10 kilograms of mineral-bearing material (other than the material referred to in paragraphs (b)-(e)), or
(b) 5 kilograms of minerals (other than gold orgemstones), or
(c) 50 grams of gold (except where found as nuggets of 10 grams or greater), or
(d) 5 nuggets of 10 grams or greater of gold, or
(e) 100 grams ofgemstones.

New South Wales Consolidated Acts

MINING ACT 1992 - SECT 12

Fossicking

12 Fossicking

(1) For the purposes of this or any other Act or law, it is declared that fossicking is a lawful activity.
(2) Subsection (1)a) does not affect any other Act or law that prohibits, regulates or restricts fossicking or that has the effect of prohibiting, regulating or restricting fossicking and, in particular, does not make fossicking a lawful authority or lawful excuse for the purposes of any such Act or law, and
(b) does not confer on any person a right of entry on to land (other than land prescribed by subsection (2A)) for fossicking purposes.
(2A) For the purposes of subsection (2) (b), the prescribed land is Crown land (within the meaning of theCrown Lands Act1989):
(a) that is not held under a lease, licence or permissive occupancy under theCrown Lands Act1989, theCrown Lands (Continued Tenures) Act1989or theWestern Lands Act1901, and
(b) that is not under the management or control of a trustee or a public or local authority.
(3) Any publicly owned mineral that is recovered in the course of lawful fossicking becomes the property of the person by whom it is found at the time it is severed from the land on which it is found.
(4) A person must not carry out fossicking on any land the subject of an authority, mineral claim or opal prospecting licence except with the consent of theholderof the authority, claim or licence.Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units.
(5) Subsection (4) does not apply to the carrying out of fossicking on land the subject of an exploration licence if the land is within a fossicking district.
(6) A person must not carry out fossicking on any land that is, or in waters that are, the subject of an approved determination of native title under the Commonwealth Native Title Act to the effect that native title exists, except with the consent of the relevant registered native title body corporate with respect to that native title.

 

[Hurg]

Is dredging illegal if I own a mining permit (I don't, mind you)?

What's that TV show that's based on those gold dredges out in open water? Can't imagine they'd be doing too much damage to the Alaskan fishing industry.

 

[G0lddigg@]

"""""DREDGING IS ILLEGAL"""*****

 

[Guest]

Is dredging illegal if I own a mining permit (I don't, mind you)?

What's that TV show that's based on those gold dredges out in open water? Can't imagine they'd be doing too much damage to the Alaskan fishing industry.

Not if you get EPA approval as part of your mining approvals which would be very hard & unlikely + cost you a packet in Environmental Impact Statements, remediation costs etc. etc.
The TV shows don't tell you that you require a permit for the public lease areas or you need approval to take out a lease in other areas. These leases & permits have conditions attached including turbidity monitoring, fisheries areas etc.
If you notice the underwater shots show pretty barren looking underwater areas devoid of much sea life which would be why the 2 x relatively small public leases have been designated in those areas & why the other private leases get approved. Dredging outside of these lease areas is prohibited.

 

[LD.]

"""""DREDGING IS ILLEGAL"""*****

That's all folks!

 

[casper]

I'm just going to come and say it for those new to this wonderful and often rewarding hobby. Gold Dredging in Australia is totally illegal.. If you are caught dredging our waterways, there are hefty fines as well as your gear being confiscated, not only that but you'll be doing a huge injustice to ALL Australian prospectors in general.

Cheers,
Nugget

Could i use a dredge in the Principality of Hutt River? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Hutt_River

........ just joking

DREDGES ARE ILLEGAL

 

[aushunter]

Dredges in the USA don't count here.
And using a water jet I would imagine would be 10 times worse off for the environment than dredging, so you could say you could be in a lot of strife there too.
I used to dredge in the legal years and stuck too the river coarse but others when they got onto a nice rich run that went into the bank just couldn't help themselves.
Erosion by undermining but then again when a river or gully do a banker in flood time it could change the coarse of the whole water coarse.
In regards to the fish, we had heaps of fish hanging out at the rear end of the dredge picking up bits and pieces of tucker and even had the occasional Platypus having a look too.
As for spoil tailings the 4 inch machine I had didn't create hardly one at all. But now they are all gone, only got a 2.5'' powerjet and the header box.
If it where to be made legal again I reckon a size of a maximum intake should be of 4 inches, registered, and have only limited areas to work the gravels.
4 inch dredges really wasn't that bad compared to a 6'' or 8'' machine, now they can move some serious dirt.
If it where legal again I would certainly get back into it but in saying that, laws are laws so stick with them.
Cheers
Brad...

 

[golddredge]

Hey golddigg, I totally agree mate great post. Dredging isn't what it's cracked out to be. It's not a taxable enterprise hence why this government has rendered it illegal. At the end of the day I have two words (NOME ALASKA) is on my bucket list.

 

[GOLD Billyen]

It's a interesting subject. For those that watch Gold fever there, a scene where Tom Massey losing his nut in a rage about California banning dredging. The guy is allways super clam but that hit a never with him.

He says that it helps the environment (fish) and they should go after the bad dredgers instead. He said the state was founded on gold and to ban something that finds it, is crazy...he has a point when you think about it that way.

 

[GOLD Billyen]

What I don't get is I see a bunch of dredges for sale...big and small on eBay.

It's ok to sell a dredge...just can't use it. Hmmm.