Prospecting in State Parks:

[Goodoes]

Greetings everyone:
1. Does anyone know if there are any regulations against panning for Gold in the Plenty River Gorge as a family recreational pursuit?
or Is it specifically permitted.
2. And do Seniors and youngsters currently need a miners right for this kind of activity - it has been a few years since I have been able or had time for this activity which I hope to resume when possible.
Thanks - any accurate advice on these 2 topics would be much appreciated. :|

 

[HippyProspecting]

Seniors do need a miners rights.
Childeren under 18 dont if they are accompanied by someone who does have a miner rights .

Check out this link. This is a list of all the rivers and creeks you are prohibited from panning in

http://earthresources.vic.gov.au/ea..._DESIGN_NAME=mobile&SQ_ACTION=set_design_name

 

[Swinging & digging]

Prospecting is not allowed in the Plenty Gorge Park

 

[Mick Cov]

Yep thats correct,no prospecting there Goodoes.
On the south side of plenty river opposite the gorge is smugglers gully,an old alluvial works which are maybe 15 mts above the waterline.
The workings run for a k or two along the river.
Golden stairs mine is above smugglers gully on private property.

Melb museum have a nice nugget found from the yarrambat,not exactly sure where golden crown mine was though.

 

[SimKlay]

Plenty River is not on the banned rivers and streams list on the earthresources.vic.gov website though?

 

[7.62marksman]

Yep thats correct,no prospecting there Goodoes.
On the south side of plenty river opposite the gorge is smugglers gully,an old alluvial works which are maybe 15 mts above the waterline.
The workings run for a k or two along the river.
Golden stairs mine is above smugglers gully on private property.https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/8894/1523788904_b4c3e56c-f28a-493a-9792-dbdbc7c37e49.jpg
Melb museum have a nice nugget found from the yarrambat,not exactly sure where golden crown mine was though.

is this the one
https://www.mindat.org/loc-123082.html

 

[HippyProspecting]

Plenty River is not on the banned rivers and streams list on the earthresources.vic.gov website though?

It's not on the banned list straight out in black and white but it is banned

Something to do with being a tributary of the yarra?

 

[SimKlay]

Hmmm, seems a little grey to me. "Yarra River and tributaries above its junction with the Plenty River" seems to me that any tributary upstream of Plenty in banned, but this does not seem inclusive of Plenty, otherwise just list it under P! Its too vague.. I haven't given it a crack but definitely intrigued.

 

[MegsyB007]

I think it's a no-go river because it supplies Yan Yean Reservoir. And a lot of it is covered by parklands where you can't pan either.

When it doubt - ask the authority that manages it.

 

[Panny McGee]

That's great advice MegsyB007.

We've just started panning and I have to say the hardest part is finding good locations to work - that arent banned - mainly because it's so diificult to work out what areas are allowed and what's a no-go zone..

 

[MegsyB007]

Yes Panny, a lot of people have the same problem, because the written information is vague at times, and YouTubers don't help when they do the wrong thing, and a lot of people don't realise they're not following the regulations.

A Miners Right says you can only use hand tools and no mechanical devices.
You must fill holes.
You can't dig into the vertical banks of rivers and creeks.
You're not meant to disturb vegetation.
You're not meant to break up bedrock.

But you see them ignoring all of these regulations on a regular basis.

Don't copy them!

Cheers,
Megsy

 

[Panny McGee]

Thanks Megsy

Another thing we see quite a bit while we're out and about is all the rubbish people leave behind. Alot of food wrappers, coffee cups, broken beer bottles and just random rubbish left behind when people go out for the day, or go camping.

We'll often take a spare rubbish bag with us so we can pick up the junk but it's a bit sad to see it, especially when it can do so much damage to the environment.

Still, most people do the right thing so that's encouraging :Y:

 

[Ded Driver]

Thanks Megsy
Another thing we see quite a bit while we're out and about is all the rubbish people leave behind. Alot of food wrappers, coffee cups, broken beer bottles and just random rubbish left behind when people go out for the day, or go camping.
We'll often take a spare rubbish bag with us so we can pick up the junk but it's a bit sad to see it, especially when it can do so much damage to the environment.
Still, most people do the right thing so that's encouraging :Y:

great work Panny :Y:
when 1 good person goes out, they can negate several bad persons impact.
Its a real oop: but helps us all in the long run

 

[MegsyB007]

Yes, I'm the same Panny. I pick up the rubbish of the grubs who have no respect for the bush too, and it really peeves me, every time I see it. They use the bush and treat it like a tip at the same time. I don't get them! They deserve a good kick up the...

If we all keep fighting the fight though, hopefully we'll stay in front, and they won't beat us!

Cheers,
Megsy

 

[Aussiedigs]

Yes there are some pigs out there. This i collected after 5 mins at a camp site.

 

[Panny McGee]

You guys are awesome, so good to see we're all doing something about it

Hopefully there's more of us and less of them

 

[jethro]

Rubbish left in the bush is something that really gets my blood boiling, as it seems to be an increasing problem. Ive been doing some HARDROCK prospecting about 400metres from an old cricket ground clearing in the bush that now gets used as an unofficial camping ground, mainly by weekend dirt bike riders and deer hunters. The sh%t that gets left behind in and around their various fireplaces is disgusting. I was contemplating setting up a trailcam and starting a facebook page and naming and shaming these bushpigs, But the missus put the moz on that. These would be the same D#*ks that think its cool to create a mudracing track in a swampy area ajacent to the creek doing more damage in a day than a dozen prospectors would cause in a month of hard digging.

 

[Jazz]

Yes there are some pigs out there. This i collected after 5 mins at a camp site.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...5284_c82ed303-75c0-4072-ae9c-33f669b5da95.jpg

Fifty cents on the old 'Return and earn' right there!

 

[Eldorado]

They say a picture tells a thousand words.

 

[Jaros]

Yup!!