Monga State Conservation Area Draft Plan of Management open to comment

[mbasko]

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/p...rvation-area-draft-plan-management-170241.htm

Opportunity for those in the area & others to comment on the Monga State Conservation Area Draft Plan of Management.
Some key points:
- was formerly a NSW State Forest & would have been available for fossicking if kept as such
- holds significant areas of reef & alluvial gold
- being a State Conservation Area mining would be allowable if legislated conditions are met but fossicking/prospecting is completely a NO GO

 

[Wally69]

Thanks Matt, submission sent :Y:

 

[GaryO]

Is this a proposal or something already in place ?
As it mentions under the mining section that fossicking is already banned .

 

[Tathradj]

SCA's or State Controlled Area's are administered by National Park's.
Under their guidelines, No Fossicking.
Stay Tuned on that...

 

[mbasko]

Is this a proposal or something already in place ?
As it mentions under the mining section that fossicking is already banned .

It's a revision of their management plan Gary. They periodically do them on all NP, SCA's etc. Previously it wasn't as easy for the public to comment on them & we got little or no say when areas such as State Forest got handed over to NPWS hence in the majority of NSW NPWS controlled areas fossicking is a no go even where previously allowable.
Need to keep pressure on them to give us a fairer go especially in these SCA's where exploration & mining can occur but fossicking is deemed far too much of an impact It's grossly unfair that when they basically get given land like State Forest they can strip our rights away without any evidence of problems or input from fossickers at all.
They can, under legislation, allow fossicking as an activity & only do so in a couple of NSW areas for example Abercrombie Karst Reserve where they allow panning only.
Torrington SCA is another where they allow fossicking.

 

[Tathradj]

Pandering by generously allowing a bit of panning
is crap to me. ]
That just allows them to demonstrate that they
are allowing some thing for nothing.
Don't get me started..... ]

 

[mbasko]

Bump - good opportunity to have a say fellas. PM me if you want some help/ideas on a submission

 

[NeilM]

:Y: Done - Thanks for the heads up mbasko.

 

[user 794]

Another bump.

Put my submission in yesterday.

FWIW - I tried to search the Dept of Environment etc and also NPWS websites for progress on the access into NPs in NSW but could not find hide nor hair. Anyone know anything recent - it's now well over 12 months and no news. The Monga Draft Plan did not refer to it either.

 

[Way2go]

I Put a submission in on the 8th and got a reply today. The reply had the following Link, which if followed down along way does include Monga.

www.environment.nsw.gov.au/parkmanagement/ParkManagementPlans.htm.

 

[user 794]

Yep - got that too but I can not find reference to the Inquiry that was to look at how fossicking/prospecting could be allowed in (some) National Parks. Submissions went in around May 2016 from memory.

 

[mbasko]

Haven't heard anything on the NSW NPWS Fossicking Draft either? You'd think there would be something by now.
In the meantime I'll keep putting it forward each time a suitable area comes up for review such as the Cells area & this one at Monga. Hopefully they will get the message!

Edit: Submissions for Monga are open until the 16th of October so plenty of time to get something in.

 

[user 794]

Haven't heard anything on the NSW NPWS Fossicking Draft either? You'd think there would be something by now.

I've sent an email to NPWS asking what is happening. I last asked in January. I thought the SCA comment papers should really have referred to this work.

 

[NAPFA]

Detectist - you said.

I've sent an email to NPWS asking what is happening. I last asked in January. I thought the SCA comment papers should really have referred to this work.

Well,

NPWS have dragged their feet on this matter at all steps of the process, so I am not surprised you have not received a reply.

The NPWS fossicking policy I was told last week is going to be published in September. It remains to be seen how much access it will facilitate, and what hoops we may have to jump through to visit these areas. One thing is for sure NPWS are unlikely to make it easy or simple, even though that is what we have argued for.

If you want to see in detail what we have argued for then you can read it here:

http://www.napfa.net/upload/NAPFA C...king in National Parks policy 10 May 2016.pdf

I would encourage you to read it to understand the background and arguments we have used.

In the meantime, we need to take any chance to put in submissions that keep asking for fossicking, especially in SCAs like Monga and any others that come up where fossicking is relevant and has been practiced in the past.

The response to these will pave the way for a 'Round two' if we don't get anywhere under this policy.

NAPFA will also be putting in one for Monga, and Cottan-Bimbang and the Cells for those who have been following that one. That is due tomorrow and I have been working on it this weekend.

cheers

Stephen
President
NAPFA

 

[user 794]

I got an email today about the release of the Monga SCA Plan of Management.

"However, fossicking cannot be allowed in the park because it may compromise water quality in the catchment."

My submission separated metal detecting from other forms of gold finding. But to no avail.

4wd touring, horse riding and cycling are allowed on public and park roads in the SCA. "Impacts on water quality will be reduced by managing roads and trails to minimise soil erosion."

What a joke.

Will any form of gold prospecting get accepted in any of the new Plans of Management???

 

[limpalot]

Detecting is cleaning up the crap from past generations of forest users, and present day oxygen thieves rubish. The bonus is camping out for the weekend, and maybe a bit of colour.

 

[mbasko]

Will any form of gold prospecting get accepted in any of the new Plans of Management???

Unfortunately I would say not. I'd be surprised anyway. IMO the Fossicking Policy they have produced is nothing but a farce & my initial optimism that with proper process they may allow it in some areas has gone. They will use any excuse to deny it & IMO the Fossicking Policy was only produced because they were made to do something due to pressure from other dept's such as Tourism. I think to be honest the 2 x NPWS areas that now have allowable fossicking areas will be under threat once their plans of management come up for review!
I've found locally they are approachable & not against fossicking in some areas but once it gets up the ladder to Regional office etc. then you just hit a brick wall & silence. They aren't interested in understanding what we do or why they are wrong with the assumptions used to deny us at that level.
It'd probably be easier to just give up but when opportunity to put in submissions come up I'll keep trying. Maybe one day they won't have any grounds to deny or commonsense will prevail - but I'm not holding my breath with this one eyed (green) bureaucracy.

 

[user 794]

I have asked Minister Kean to explain how metal detecting may compromise water quality in the catchment.

If I get a response without spin and without standard words relating to fossicking, it may help in any future submissions.

 

[Goldtarget]

Look I know Im beating a worn out drum but I did chance upon something very interesting the other day. Reading an unrelated article on sustainability I just happened to find a link that highlighted that Australia had signed up to the UN biodiversity outcomes.

These treaties are unenforceable (they are international guidelines that do not overrule sovereign states) but the devil is in the detail. The UN had proposed a 17% of the entire global landmass be secured (?!) to ensure the ecological systems that support biodiversty be put aside in pristine condition.

Now when I learnt this I couldnt help but think there might be a bigger overall objective trying to be implemented from internal influence within our state governments. That is to say it makes sense to me why the changes seem to be coming thick and fast in the last 10 to 15 years.

Regardless of whether this is way off the mark or not I found it food for thought.

Good on you blokes for trying, can't be easy getting steamrolled on these matters time after time. ower:

 

[user 794]

Today, I got a response back from the NPWS on my enquiry to the Minister (see #18). They misread my message by indicating I had fossicked in the not-allowed area for many years (I haven't put a foot in the area). They also responded in what is, or will be, "standard words" about 4 components of fossicking and fossicking's impact on water quality.

I have responded clarifying the misreading and have asked specifically for them to respond about metal detecting and its impact on water quality. My email has been read by the person who responded to my enquiry to the Minister. We'll see the next steps. I have a couple more options to escalate further, if need be. I'm going through proper and due process and politely.

I'll post any updates.