NQMA Making Detecting On Leases Illegal.

[Simmo]

From the minutes of the Committee meeting:

A major concern of NQMA is the problem of people coming onto Mining Leases and metal detecting.
NQMA will push to make it illegal to go onto Mining Lease Applications and EPMs with the same rules as applies in Western Australia.

 

[nucopia]

Not being a smart A's .. but isnt it already illegal and the problem is enforcement prosecutions and penalties ?

 

[Ramjet]

Title is misleading! Makes it sound like a blanket ban when in fact it is only on leases?

 

[Simmo]

It is on Leases, that can count as trespass.
But not on applications and EPM's.
Enforcement has ramped up with feild officers finally doing their job, getting out of the office and into the field.
The problem lies in that lease boundaries are not clearly defined. I have pegs that are 800 mtrs apart, one wouldn't have a clue that they had crossed my boundary.
Ordinarily the area would be under an EPM or MLA, so making it illegal here, removes the problem.
If you are caught anywhere in the area, you are trespassing?!

The fact remains though, area's like the Palmer, it is illegal in the R16. And you are right, its the convictions and penalties that need to be stepped up.
Not just confiscation of gear, then saying you can pick that up at the Mines dept in Mareeba??

 

[Simmo]

Title is misleading! Makes it sound like a blanket ban when in fact it is only on leases?

It was attention seeking?? Modern media tactic?
It will more than likely, if it goes through, result in a blanket issue, as most Au producing area's I know of are under an EPM or MLA?
Here are area's covered by EPMs in QLD. Nearly a blanket?

 

[grubstake]

The problem lies in that lease boundaries are not clearly defined. I have pegs that are 800 mtrs apart, one wouldn't have a clue that they had crossed my boundary.

Don't people have access to GPS in Queensland?

In reality, your lease boundaries are probably no different to the situation here in WA, where it's the detector operator's responsibility to know exactly where they are at all times and not up to the lease-holder to erect signage every 10 metres or paint red lines all over the landscape.

 

[Simmo]

Yes Bud, you are correct of course.
However lease boundaries dont come up like suburb boundaries on the screen!
And to know exactly where you are, you would have to have prior knowledge, or done your home work, to know what leases are there/nearby.
Make it illegal in the whole area, some of the problem will be solved, you are just not permitted in the area.
Dont forget, that if you gain permission from the holder, (I'm assuming they are talking about a system similar to 40e's?) you've done the right thing, go hard!!

Due to the improvement and cost effectiveness of modern GPS, the requirement of even physical pegs/cairns is being questioned by the dept as if really necessary.?

 

[user 4485]

Being MLA would make that ground pending wouldn't it?
Fair game until the ML is granted as per WA?
EPM would require a permit like the WA 40E I assume?
Sounds fair enough on surface value if they're not trying to stop it all together.

 

[Simmo]

Umm not sure Bud?
Any MLA I have done has been on an existing EPM (with permission) or sub blocks dropped in moratorium.
I think, most 'known' area's, would have an EPM over them.
Generally, in my experience, after the 30 days of moratorium, someone would snap up that sup block under their epm, or it would be pegged as a MLA.

I think, it would be like the permit (40e) system?? But I don't know?!

 

[Simmo]

I think as an MLA, permission to enter should be denied.
As an EPM, maybe, if the person entering, helps the owner with exploration???...
The EPM could turn out to be a dud???
But once its pegged... all bets are off... stay away....

 

[user 4485]

Hopefully they get something in place that's workable for everyone.
WA might not be the best model to suit that area but it seems to work ok over there.
Better available mapping of lease boundaries would be a start by the sounds of it?

 

[bicter]

It is on Leases, that can count as trespass.
But not on applications and EPM's.
Enforcement has ramped up with feild officers finally doing their job, getting out of the office and into the field.
The problem lies in that lease boundaries are not clearly defined. I have pegs that are 800 mtrs apart, one wouldn't have a clue that they had crossed my boundary.
Ordinarily the area would be under an EPM or MLA, so making it illegal here, removes the problem.
If you are caught anywhere in the area, you are trespassing?!

The fact remains though, area's like the Palmer, it is illegal in the R16. And you are right, its the convictions and penalties that need to be stepped up.
Not just confiscation of gear, then saying you can pick that up at the Mines dept in Mareeba??

With regards to EPMs, the GPAs available around Warwick all have EPMs over them, not sure about Clermont. How would they be impacted under the NQMA proposal

 

[Simmo]

It is on Leases, that can count as trespass.
But not on applications and EPM's.
Enforcement has ramped up with feild officers finally doing their job, getting out of the office and into the field.
The problem lies in that lease boundaries are not clearly defined. I have pegs that are 800 mtrs apart, one wouldn't have a clue that they had crossed my boundary.
Ordinarily the area would be under an EPM or MLA, so making it illegal here, removes the problem.
If you are caught anywhere in the area, you are trespassing?!

The fact remains though, area's like the Palmer, it is illegal in the R16. And you are right, its the convictions and penalties that need to be stepped up.
Not just confiscation of gear, then saying you can pick that up at the Mines dept in Mareeba??

With regards to EPMs, the GPAs available around Warwick all have EPMs over them, not sure about Clermont. How would they be impacted under the NQMA proposal

I'd say that a GPA is a done deal and under agreement, so no difference (status quo) there?

 

[Simmo]

Hopefully they get something in place that's workable for everyone.
WA might not be the best model to suit that area but it seems to work ok over there.
Better available mapping of lease boundaries would be a start by the sounds of it?

Sorry mate, I missed your post.
There is quite good QLD mines mapping freely and readily available. However as I said above, you'd have to have done your homework so as not to trespass.
A lot/most people dont do this, and just 'wing it' out in the bush. No permissions in place at all, just wander around.
More than likely, they would be on an EPM, a MLA or ML.

So we know that if caught, they can be charged with trespass on a ML.

Oh!, I didnt know, is a common excuse. So if the EPM's and MLA's are also out of bounds without permission, then that excuse cant be used.
Not knowing there was a ML boundary there wont matter. A charge of trespass etc would be much easier to lay and stick.

 

[AngerManagement]

Bicter...

So much confusion that people will soon get caught out as assumptions and lack of clarity.

 

[Moneybox]

That must be the reason we get invaded by eastern states bandits over here. They just wander about anywhere regardless of the 40e system that we have in place. Us more responsible people spend a mere $25 (now $90) for legal access to half the state for a period of more than two months at a time. We've recently run into groups of eastern state prospectors who freely admit to ignoring the rules. Some are members of this site and are quite well aware of the regulations. They know that in most cases they would just be asked to move on. The same problem applies that no action is taken to prevent this problem and they are putting all of our free access under threat of being excluded from good ground. They are most likely the same bunch of irresponsible prospectors who drop a trail of rubbish in the wake.

 

[Jazz]

This is like one of those click bait titles.

As soon as I get psyched up to buy a detector, this topic comes up and makes me think "that's the end of that idea".

Thank god it was nothing more than a misleading poor choice of topic title.

 

[Rockwall]

That must be the reason we get invaded by eastern states bandits over here. They just wander about anywhere regardless of the 40e system that we have in place. Us more responsible people spend a mere $25 (now $90) for legal access to half the state for a period of more than two months at a time. We've recently run into groups of eastern state prospectors who freely admit to ignoring the rules. Some are members of this site and are quite well aware of the regulations. They know that in most cases they would just be asked to move on. The same problem applies that no action is taken to prevent this problem and they are putting all of our free access under threat of being excluded from good ground. They are most likely the same bunch of irresponsible prospectors who drop a trail of rubbish in the wake.

Same in NQ.

 

[user 4485]

Yeah there'd be no locals breaking rules at all
The locals don't get caught as often cause they know the escape routes :lol: ]

 

[user 4485]

https://www.detectorprospector.com/forums/topic/11185-nqma-lobbying-against-detectorists/
Looks like the Goldhounds aren't happy.

Hi Guys

I've started this post to inform members and non member detectorists that the NQMA (North Queensland Miners Association) is lobbying the Queensland Mines department to change access laws to EPM's (exploration tenements)

The proposed change would ban detecting and prospecting on exploration tenements without the consent of the tenement holder.

This would effectively ban metal detecting in any gold field as they are mostly covered by exploration tenements. Whats worse is that more than half of the members of the NQMA are detectorists or hobby prospectors. And they are using the money from their yearly fee's to lobby for this change.

This change is the brain child of James Said the current president of the organization.

I urge members and non members to contact the NQMA and voice your concern about the changes they are lobbying for.

To contact the NQMA please [email protected], please reference the best contact below in your email.

President James Said
Vice President Graham Byrne
Secretary Lyn Byrne
Treasurer Michele Mobbs
Native Title Officer Paul Crossland
Publicity Officer James Said

Feel free to spread the word

Regards

Dale