Dredging in Australia for recreational activities IS illegal..

[RM Outback]

On Gumtree.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/232/1532834070_dredge.jpg

And from Dunolly area :N:, site's like Gumtree /EBay and the like should be informed of what's legal and what's not and take charge by not allowing these items to be advertised.

There's always the few scumbags who make it very difficult and to a point ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[xcvator]

On Gumtree.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/232/1532834070_dredge.jpg

And from Dunolly area :N:, site's like Gumtree /EBay and the like should be informed of what's legal and what's not and take charge by not allowing these items to be advertised.

There's always the few scumbags who make it very difficult and to a point ruin it for the rest of us.

But is it illegal to just own one, and not use it ?

 

[mbasko]

Yes indeed they do thats how they work sucking up material. Reason you cant use motorised equipment is no one stands up and bands together, pmav are useless if enough numbers got together such regulations would be overturned.

As your well aware the fundamental ingredient to success in prospecting is YOU! You make the decisions where to swing that coil etc etc...

Rolling over and giving up will always leave you empty handed.

So what exactly are you doing to help our cause??
How are you banding people together?? Whinging on a forum that can do little about anything.

Fact: Dredging was banned in California USA a couple of years ago & that ban was upheld in the High Court this year.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sf...Court-leaves-California-s-ban-on-12482487.php
Not such a great family pastime there either. In California your also labelled as a criminal.
So much for the AMRA. Get educated on the subject ]

 

[mbasko]

On Gumtree.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/232/1532834070_dredge.jpg

And from Dunolly area :N:, site's like Gumtree /EBay and the like should be informed of what's legal and what's not and take charge by not allowing these items to be advertised.

There's always the few scumbags who make it very difficult and to a point ruin it for the rest of us.

But is it illegal to just own one, and not use it ?

Why would you own one if you're not going to use it Bar room decoration?
This forums become "let's find 101 ways we can try to circumvent the law (& put even more pressure on our pastime) then whinge when more laws get enforced upon us because we can't do the right thing now"

 

[Swinging & digging]

Yes indeed they do thats how they work sucking up material. Reason you cant use motorised equipment is no one stands up and bands together, pmav are useless if enough numbers got together such regulations would be overturned.

As your well aware the fundamental ingredient to success in prospecting is YOU! You make the decisions where to swing that coil etc etc...

Rolling over and giving up will always leave you empty handed.

So what exactly are you doing to help our cause??
How are you banding people together?? Whinging on a forum that can do little about anything.

Fact: Dredging was banned in California USA a couple of years ago & that ban was upheld in the High Court this year.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sf...Court-leaves-California-s-ban-on-12482487.php
Not such a great family pastime there either. In California your also labelled as a criminal.
So much for the AMRA. Get educated on the subject ]

For the Record the PMAV fought very hard to retain dredging, the battle lasted 10 years, 1980 until 1990 when the Victorian ban on the activity was implemented.
The PMAV also rallied very hard to get Dredging back post 1990, a State Government panel studied the effects and everything to do with Gold Dredging in 1994, the
decision was made, "TO LEAVE THE BAN IN PLACE". This decision was made on number of factors, negative effects to Streams, negative effects on other user groups, like fisherman & campers & nearby landowners etc. Back then Gold prospecting was not as popular as it is now, a great deal of more land has been withdrawn from Prospecting access, more National Parks etc.

No matter how many numbers get involved dredging will never be legal again, if it where there would be 50 times more people doing it that there was before in much less available locations. U Tube and prospecting forum promotion of locations would result in significant crowding at locations and create significant problems the led to existing bans.

USA allows dredging in some locations but that is changing very rapidly: California banned Gold Dredging & so has Oregon, Idaho and other states are following with banning proposals etc.

 

[xcvator]

On Gumtree.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/232/1532834070_dredge.jpg

And from Dunolly area :N:, site's like Gumtree /EBay and the like should be informed of what's legal and what's not and take charge by not allowing these items to be advertised.

There's always the few scumbags who make it very difficult and to a point ruin it for the rest of us.

But is it illegal to just own one, and not use it ?

Why would you own one if you're not going to use it Bar room decoration?
This forums become "let's find 101 ways we can try to circumvent the law (& put even more pressure on our pastime) then whinge when more laws get enforced upon us because we can't do the right thing now"

All I was trying to point out that it may not be illegal to own or sell a dredge, but it is illegal to use one so you can't put the policing back on Gumtree or Ebay for people advertising them

 

[7.62marksman]

no but you can list it to ebay saying they are illegal if you find one for sale
shoot me down if you want but no one spends 3k ++++ for something they are not going to use in Australia so why not take 3 minutes and report them as illegal
remember the more that people get busted with them then the less chance we have of keeping what we have now
sooner or later the sluice will be put in the same class as they are used in conjunction with a dredge so bang goes the sluice as well
3 min work report them

Hit the report item button
then the drop boxes as follows

1. Prohibited and restricted items
2. Illegal items and items encouraging illegal activity (and that ladies and gents says it all)
3. Other illegal activity concerns
Then hit the submit report button

that took me 2 min to cut and paste so less time to report

 

[Swinging & digging]

The recent prohibition on High Banking in NSW, the Government stated that high bankers can easily be converted to Dredges.
This had weighting on their decision, so there you go.

 

[golddredge]

I will say it for the last time there are no negative affects associated with suction gold dredging. Furthermore it is coming back to California june july 2019 do your research. The main issue was it came under a class of mechanical device in Australia.

Miners argued that much material was needed to be moved by hand, but it was still banned.its this type of attitude you folks here portray why the government has shut down highbanking in nsw...

You can and i repeat you can obtain a permit but, with all the fees and shit you would need kilos to make it worth your time...

Im not the enemy here nor am i whinging, a response like hey mate yeah lets get a charity here going to fund legal representation for pmav exercise our right to mine, even to reinstate highbanking in nsw.

So now that highbanking is illegal in nsw is it wrong because the government said so? A negative attitude gets negative results

Why cant pmav expand into high court with lawyers and preparation, documentation we need to stand up for our passions, why are you all so negative?

Can we get a donation going to pmav surely its tax deductible come on guys

 

[Swinging & digging]

We as a group are not negative.
The final say on dredging has been said, so no donations, petitions evidence etc will change the current situation.

Best to use your efforts to retain what minimal legal rights we have now.

The evidence used against dredging in Victoria is:

Mercury mobilasation.
Increased erosion of stream beds and banks with flooding as dredging loosens up stream bed material.
Increase in turbidity due to operating equipment in stream.
Damage to bankside vegetation.
Increased Noise pollution due to operating engines.

When dredging was legal in Victoria, quite a few operators never had licences.
Despite inspections from Mines Dept inspectors operators undercutting banks
where told not too, but continued to do so.
There was widespread illegal dredging in Streams not opened to gold dredging.
There was very widespread opposition to Gold Dredging in Victoria, by many
groups and individuals.

I can,t honestly see it been allowed again as the same problems and issues will
come up again but much worse this time with the numbers of people wanting to
do it.

 

[aussiefarmer]

My outburst may have been a little blunt , but before highbanking in nsw was banned i seen plenty of dredges and trommels being operated in public areas , even a large trailer mounted trommel big enough to be fed with a bobcat , but was being fed by 4 guys on shovels operating at hillend the weekend of the napha meeting a coupla years ago.

I guess the rangers couldnt tell the difference so they stopped every motorised fossicking device to simplify the job, a bit like serrated tussock its a lot easier to get rid of if you wipe out all tussocks so the cant blend in.

The people making these rules dont want anyone in the bush!, plain and simple , but the fools who continued to dredge deffinently helped get highbanking banned.

I said it before the only long term fix is to get the wildlife warriors out of these government decision making rolls and get some prospectors in these jobs.
Comments saying dredging is as good or better for the environment than highbanking is just sealing the fate of highbankers.

Maybe pamv and napha should push the issue that dredges and dredge nozzles should be illegal to own and criminal to sell as trade off to get highbanking reintroduced , so that a clear line is drawn between the two methods of gold recovery.

 

[Swinging & digging]

https://www.desertsun.com/story/new...clarifying-legislation-grinds-halt/742999002/

Do Your research: article dated 29/06/2018, gold dredging is not coming back to California.

With people using high bankers to undercut stream banks like in above picture is why laws are made to ban, restrict and limit access.
You just can,t stop excessive greed and stupidity by people.

 

[Ship of fools]

This starts with the individual not a member of any forum or club willing to jump fences and boundaries not filling holes, undercutting banks and generally showing all what a mess prosecutors make!
Landholders and lease operators then have fuel to feed politicians who are only to happy to appease their constituents!
If we dont talk to our local members telling them our plight then of course they wont do anything!
Councils also need to know how tourists come and stay and spend.
Matt T
Maybe of topic but? There are a number of quarries in and around Mackay most on public land some on private, two operating in the Pioneer river. When I look on mine maps on line not one shows up as a mine!
If they dont have to follow the why does anyone else?

 

[palmerston]

its only illegal for recreational prospecters ???? its ok for miners with leases to do it on a much larger scale

 

[Dragon Man]

its only illegal for recreational prospecters ???? its ok for miners with leases to do it on a much larger scale

and apparently it's also OK for Geologists and Marine Biologists.

 

[golddredge]

ISwinging and digging i have spoke via email with shannon po from Amra
I have spoke via skype with mark keene from keene engineering
I have had a telephone conversation with jerry from proline mining dredging is coming back YOUR WRONG

27 studies all on the issue came back negative to suction mining. That photo you have is of an asshole. Excuse my french should of back filled and planted, a tree?

For example we all use motor vehicles if one person gets caught doing 200 should we all suffer.?

Do you know they dredge port phillip bay to deepen the shipping channels.
Suction dredgers dont add anything but remove toxic lead and mercury its a good thing, a simple rule like staying 1 metre away from the bank would be a start.

But seriously we need ONE organisation for all of Australia it needs to be well funded to get anywhere. Small branches are weak,, we need a tree trunk

Ps ive sent a msg to pmav gippsland, asking what is being done to secure highbanking in victoria, im still waiting for a response.

 

[golddredge]

Marksman you sound like you own a gun?

 

[7.62marksman]

 

[mbasko]

its only illegal for recreational prospecters ???? its ok for miners with leases to do it on a much larger scale

Miners on leases have to have MOP's, Environmental Statements, Mining Approvals, Rehabilitation Deposits etc. etc. They are highly regulated & its expensive.
I haven't heard of any new dredging leases either but have seen a few that have either not been renewed by the operator or not renewed by the Mining Dept. Either way regulations, expense & environmental concerns would all no doubt have played a part. Just because you have a lease doesn't necessarily mean you can just legally dredge on it either.

Using the dredging of waterways is a poor argument to. It's also highly regulated, requires environmental impact statements & approvals before being carried out.

Making simple rules like staying 1m from banks simply won't work. There are rules now stating no digging in banks & DH's can't follow that now.

Rightly or wrongly recreational gold dredging is illegal & will likely remain so regardless of opinion here or elsewhere.
I agree with AF that those who continue to do it illegally have inadvertently contributed to the highbanker being scrutinised more & bundled in with it.
I don't think anyone here is being negative just realistic. PMAV & NAPFA have more pressing + current battles to worry about rather than getting dredges back.

 

[Simmo]

I dont believe that if you wrote in your mining lease application specifically 'dredging' or 'hydraulic mining' it would be approved.
Generally in your plan of operations you would indicate 'how' you going to mine. Your approval would depend on how thorough and well written your application was.
I have a 2' and a 5' dredge, both used for sampling prior to moving my gear. A lot more 'damage' is done then, than with the little dredge.
Where everything becomes a problem for a hobbyist, is they are not on a mining lease, they are generally on public land, where this sort of disturbance would be frowned upon. I believe in the hobbyist dredge ban, I dont believe in the hibanker ban. I believe in harsher peanlties ENFORCED for prospectors that 'bend' or down right disobey the rules...

The Creek:

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