Dredging in Australia for recreational activities IS illegal..

[MJB]

No not illegal Trents99...sluices and highbankers ok in most states

 

[Tathradj]

Just set up back about 3 meters then build a small rock wall to stop excessive muddy water going into the creek or stream.
The rules are written in NSW to be pretty flexible but don't be a tool and you will be OK.
If things get out of hand, Video what you are doing. Funny how attitude changes when an "Important" person decides to be a **** head. (You by law are allowed to do this. )
If you think that the water is going to be fairly dirty, Use grass etc in the dam or find and carry a peace of filter mat that RMS/RTA use on their work sites.
Put it simple.
Don't dig the banks out. 8)
Don't create a muddy mess.
Do fill your holes in.
Take your junk home
Do have Fun.

 

[Paydirt]

Tony Beets eat your heart out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxhISrEI1N8

 

[G0lddigg@]

that was a great 2pm distraction alot of work getting that beat under the powerlines.

 

[dwt]

Tony Beets eat your heart out

Hrrrrrm, MR Tony Beets, would not lower himself to the substandard of dredging for filthy aluminium products, I think you may of confused him with Tod Hoffman!!
Your apology is accepted in advance Paydirt :lol:
"In Beets we trust"

 

[Goldtarget]

Nice prarject!

 

[Hiluxlou]

I quiet often see blokes dredging , full waterproof wetsuits , scuba gear , high banker on a raft floating behind them . Almost every river , creek in the Walhalla area has been dredged and I'm not talking about in the 1980's. Last trip up to the area there were 3 blokes in plain view of the track going for there lives . Are these laws enforced ?

 

[G0lddigg@]

Im sure if the right department had a good reason to make an example out of someone they would. Otherwise how do you justify the expense to police it.

 

[mickance]

here is one for you ..when in vic i found a big water hole in a bend of a river .......i got my pump and pumped it dry so i could get to the bottom of it ....(no gold tho) or not enough :0)

so is it illegal to move water from one hole to another ,,,no one has been able to answer so far

i did relocate the trout left in the bottom and a yabby

 

[G0lddigg@]

Thats a tricky one and im sure it could be perceived as greedy in light of that water potentially being the normal water hole that lasts over summer for animals and such

. Everything in context though. Did you pump it into another area of the creek?
I know in ballarat we have signs up around some areas stating that people found moving water will be prosecuted. I am sure this is because during drought many have filled livestock water storage from these reservs which are filled to maintain water supply during dry periods incase of fire.

I think youd be hard pressed to find a law that states you cant pump water from one spot to another in a creek. And i would say at least four places i prospect during summer i transfer water into pools so i can recirculate off of my highbanker.

 

[MJB]

Thats a tricky one and im sure it could be perceived as greedy in light of that water potentially being the normal water hole that lasts over summer for animals and such

. Everything in context though. Did you pump it into another area of the creek?
I know in ballarat we have signs up around some areas stating that people found moving water will be prosecuted. I am sure this is because during drought many have filled livestock water storage from these reservs which are filled to maintain water supply during dry periods incase of fire.

I think youd be hard pressed to find a law that states you cant pump water from one spot to another in a creek. And i would say at least four places i prospect during summer i transfer water into pools so i can recirculate off of my highbanker.

Sounds like another place I know GD

 

[Gozzo]

May be a silly question as dredging is in the name, but what about gravity dredging, where you just lay the hose out in a creek bed and wait for the water to start running? I've seen a couple of videos on youtube and thought it seemed stupid to start with but it did have quite a bit of suction and defiantly moved a lot of material! And given there is no mechanics to it, and from my understanding no hydraulics, but I also don't fully understand the word Hydraulics in this scenario.

Tom

That "Diggertom, other than the initial post as to the issue of whether Dredging or hydraulic sluicing is legal, is so far the only " Different Question " here and an
interesting one at that. As you pointed out there is no external power as such, but whether it still fits the definition of hydraulic sluicing is almost complicated enough for the High Court and all those funny looking guys in their wigs and gowns, I should probably have gone on to page 3 before writing this post. I DONT know whether its legal or not, but that's a very interesting question. 8)

 

[Gozzo]

Tony Beets eat your heart out

Hrrrrrm, MR Tony Beets, would not lower himself to the substandard of dredging for filthy aluminium products, I think you may of confused him with Tod Hoffman!!
Your apology is accepted in advance Paydirt :lol:
"In Beets we trust"

Im Sorry Paydirt but Tod Hoffman Is way more a gentleman than Tony Beets. Parker Gave him good gold in the last season, and Beets lead him to believe that if he showed him he had the " Know how " and Beets, DID NOT honour that gentleman's agreement, Instead he gives him ground that He himself wouldn't touch. Young Parker, is a rare breed in his generation. Ambitious, Hard Working and DETERMINED.

 

[Marked]

The question of "gravity" dredging has been covered before - it is NOT legal. It is covered by the terms and descriptions that make every other form of dredging illegal.

 

[Gold3nAp3]

Hey guys, first time poster long time lingerer. I have done the homework and I'll repeat the process I went through for everyone. This is what I had to do to be allowed to use highbankers and dredges in QLD.

If you have purchased the required licenses it is perfectly legal to dredge in all Australian States.

In QLD, you are required to follow the Small-scale mining code. You must have an Exploration permit to mine Minerals other than coal. To obtain an exploration permit you must have a prospecting permit. To obtain a prospecting permit you must have a fossicking license. See where this is going?

To have legal rights to use machinery, water pumps and dredges you will need these prerequisites.

Purchase a fossicking license. This is the very first step, without this you're illegally mining. This license grants you restricted permission to hand mine using hand tools.

Purchase a prospecting permit. (You will need a fossicking license to be eligible to purchase a prospecting permit) This is the 2nd step. This allows you to have more flexibility with your prospecting. Hand tools are only permitted.

Mining Claim: You can purchase a mining claim, to purchase a mining claim you will need a Prospecting permit. Mining claims grant more flexibility to the prospector. Only hand tools are permitted.

Mining Lease: To purchase a mining lease you will need the following. Prospecting permit, exploration permit or mineral development licence. A mining lease will give you rights to use machinery. You can use any form of machinery.

If you follow the legal procedures it is perfectly legal to dredge in Australia. If you're serious about your prospecting and you want to take your hobby to the next level, you're required to purchase the appropriate license for your specific operation.

NOTE: States and Territories legally identify collection of minerals as mining. These laws vary depending on state and territory. All resources are owned by the State and by the Commonwealth. These licenses are to ensure State and Commonwealth entities receive their royalties for minerals being mined.

 

[Marked]

This thread is entirely concerned with the legality for a hobby prospector - not to be confused with a commercial enterprise. There is NO circumstance where it is legal for a hobby prospector to use a dredge of any description ...

Moderators : please consider moving the previous post to somewhere better such as the "small scale mining" thread where it has more relevance. Cheers.

 

[yobskin]

So after all that how much does it cost total? $$$$
Its $80+ for fossicking permit yearly.
And im pretty sure people dont find $80 worth of anything?
Most gold/gem fields in qld dont have water...let alone gold or gems.
Im not guna open up a can of worms over dredging....but my little 3.5hp water pump and sluice box is tiny compared to 15 tonne mobile gold plants... This lovely HOBBY of ours cost enough for lil or no return highbankers/sluices arent machinery...... it is only no machinery for excavating/gathering
material. Hand tools only no generators for electrical equipment/ nor accessive noise that disturbs fellow fossickers. Water pumps transfer water only not material....most fossickers wouldnt care about a little pump idleing away unless there jealous...correct me if im wrong

 

[madworld]

Video link removed *

 

[madworld]

Do you think this guys just a tosser or can people really honestly buy this gear and not realise its illegal to use ? For my money I would have googled dredging in australia before handing over 5k for some machinery

 

[Marked]

I suggested to a guy selling a whole range of dredges on eBay (based in Gympie) that he needed to add a disclaimer to his auctions letting the unwary know that dredges were illegal for hobby prospectors - not sure of his reply as the emoticon he sent back was not recognised by my computer for some reason.