Using a dredge in Australia for recreational prospecting is illegal - information and questions

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Hey Guys

Just a little thing that happened to me today. I took my niece and nephew down to yarrowee to do a little panning as the are 9 and 4 so prime spot to spend time with them close to home and the like. when we got there I found a group of blokes had set up a dredging operation on the beach i had intended to use and where not welcoming to visitors. I went over to say gday and was met with the cold shoulder so i asked where he got his dredge from and he said it was home made so i pointed out that it was illegal and his response was "yeah so what you going to do about it" so not wanting a confrontation with the kids about i packed them up and moved on, much to there disappointment as my nephew was already knee deep in the creek. we moved up to a not so kid friendly spot and after a few slips and spills on the algae covered bed rock we called it a day with 2 very upset kids 8.( .

The setup they had was a high banker made of perspex and a 2 inch dredge nozzle feeding it the nozzle was stainless and looked well made so don't know why they went with perspex for the high banker so short of giving personal info on the guys and the name of the concreting company that was plastered all over there van parked on the creek side that they had cut a fence to get it there. or do i name and shame what are your thoughts on this. Did anyone see thses guys over the weekend??? and what is to be done is there a DPI hotline for this or just call the cops.
 
Name and shame (to the authorities), also if you had any photo's you could send with your report. Perhaps the kids in the photo with the dredge in the background (of course blur the kids) If someone is doing something wrong and don't know about it then perhaps a little information and slack, but to knowingly do it and be rude and obnoxious ruins it for everyone. Remember it is always the bad apples the ruin it. So yes I would without hesitation.

As you pointed out you had to make a change that potentially endangered your kids for someone doing something they shouldn't be in the first place... Mongrels I say.
 
The yarrowee river is on the exempt list so you aren't meant to be there either ;) That doesn't seem to bother most people though as I often see people there. I don't like working near anyone else so would have moved up/down stream anyway.
The thing I have found about jumping up and down about things like this is usually the offender never hears or reads of this, and more restrictions get placed on those doing the right thing. Best of ignoring them and letting karma catch them up.

DD
 
Sad story mate. It's a shame there is people around like this!

I don't know what you do but find out and call someone. Don't need people like that wrecking good spots and being just turds in general.

Hope you get it sorted and get rid of them soon : )

Cheers.
 
I would say be careful they know what you look like and you never know if you will see them again, and if you report them what will they get a fine and there will be more rules of what we can and can not do. It is a shame things like this go on but it will never stop because of greed it goes on in fishing and hunting ,you stop one person only for someone else to be greedy .
 
That disgusts me! The attitude of some people, and even to cut a fence to get in! They spoil it for the rest of us who are doing the right thing and following the law. How else can we stop them but name them to the authority's? God I hope they get what they deserve, before our hobby is ruined forever!
 
Should have just let down the vans tires and fixed the fence on your way out :)

Shame that people are out there ruining it. If they didnt know it was illegal id then blame austar and foxtel ;)
 
I would not say anything,with a 2 inch they will get stuff all and they will call it quits,and not come back again.

As they say leave sleeping dogs lye
 
Yeah in some ways better to make mortal enemies of people. But Jinx nailed when he called it greed but Karma also has a way of working things out so time will tell.
 
Diggerdude said:
The yarrowee river is on the exempt list so you aren't meant to be there either ;) That doesn't seem to bother most people though as I often see people there. I don't like working near anyone else so would have moved up/down stream anyway.
The thing I have found about jumping up and down about things like this is usually the offender never hears or reads of this, and more restrictions get placed on those doing the right thing. Best of ignoring them and letting karma catch them up.

DD

Exactly. Live and Let Live.
Karl
 
Those people were doing the very thing that can help put at risk or recreational pursuits and some here say do nothing..... How dose that make us any better than them??? To see people doing this sort of thing and then turn a blind eye should almost make you an accessory, as in your now part of the problem and your silence is in NO WAY ever going to be part of a solution.... is it?

just mho
 
pretty harsh thing to happen when you have your kids with you mate trying to enjoy a hobby...similar thing happend to my neighbour on his farm late saturday arvo 3 men jumped his fence and started exploring his great great grandparents old stone house, they had to break down the front door to get in :mad: .The damage to the front door is unrepairable to the 100 plus year old house (long weekend and a full moon i guess)......dam bloody shame this sort of thing goes on....hard choice to make with a family mate im guessing you made the right one :) ......PERSONALLY......well might just leave that one alone for the time being 8)
 
You risk your health by working in those streams,if you get cut infection will set in very quick.
A friend was panning in the Yarra(where you are permit too)and he got a cut in knee,on the way home his knee was really let him know he had a infection.so I would the say Yarrawee is not the cleanest river,with all that crap going into it,it would not be my idea of a place to be puddling around in.
But as I said previous with 2 inch he will be let down by his results.
 
Not too sure how things work down that way, but up here in NSW most areas are looked after by either Council Rangers, National Parks or NSW Forestry. Find who looks after the area your taking about and let them know what these blokes were up to and what they were driving. It will not happen over night but they will eventually catch them in the act. Most Government agencies have vehicles/people that they have intell on and who they actively seek out and watch. By the time they get them they would have no idea of who it was that brought their little operation to the attention of the authority. It can be all done anonymously as well if you prefer. Just my thoughts.
 
Goldagettin said:
Those people were doing the very thing that can help put at risk or recreational pursuits and some here say do nothing..... How dose that make us any better than them??? To see people doing this sort of thing and then turn a blind eye should almost make you an accessory, as in your now part of the problem and your silence is in NO WAY ever going to be part of a solution.... is it?

just mho

i think he was concerned cos he had his kids with him mate...... :)
 

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