I'm planning a WA trip next year but have found so many places covered by existing tenements. Is it still a viable proposition to prospect legally in WA.
WA tenements
- Thread starter wick p
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It sure is! Don't let the severe restrictions in SA put you off - once you learn how to properly utilise the WA online mapping resources, you'll find that WA has plenty of legally accessible areas available. If you can't figure it out from the info already available here on PA, you can attend a training course that will show you how to go about it:
http://www.goldtalkleonora.com.au/
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https://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Minerals/Prospectors-fossickers-1525.aspx
The 40E permit system opens up much ground for legally prospecting.
The 40E permit system opens up much ground for legally prospecting.
Maybe sign up to a Little ripper Gold membership mate.
It is a group here in WA that buys it own leases for members to utilise.
The leases can be pretty well flogged but there usually some pending ground nearby that cancels this out.
Membership is about 100 a year which is dirt cheap in my opinion
https://www.littlerippergoldinc.com/
It is a group here in WA that buys it own leases for members to utilise.
The leases can be pretty well flogged but there usually some pending ground nearby that cancels this out.
Membership is about 100 a year which is dirt cheap in my opinion
https://www.littlerippergoldinc.com/
Maybe I'm overlooking something, but if you want to work pending ground, why would you also pay $100/year for access to a 'well flogged' lease in the vicinity?
Theirs not many pending ground to detect on I've noticed,and I've done no good on the pending,iam finding it hard to find gold,the big mines has all the good areas tied up its just a shame,it cost a fortune on all this travelling and expanse on food and fuel,and yes I use trilobite and other maps.hard work and not to mention the risk of damage to my 4wd.each year it gets harder to find pending ground,anyway it's just my opinion.Good luck mate
Thanks. It's great to find a nugget but the adventure and the bush is an enjoyable experience also. Planning to go next year so have plenty of time to study up on maps etc. It's much better than SA where you almost can't go anywhere with out permission. It took me a month to find my first piece many years ago and I guess finding gold is a lot harder now. I'm going to give it a go anyway before I get too old.
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Just come back from WA. I and a freind of mine Brought 40Es. All the strangers we encountered didn't buy 40Es as they say the gold police are imaginary things set out to scare interstate people from other states. Next time I won't buy 40Es and just do Pending grounds.
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I believe your question is justified. I have been prospecting around WA for more than 2 decades but have become very alarmed at how much ground is being tied up by big businesses across the state. The rules or laws require urgent revision and review. Going back to the 1980's and 1990's the state businesses in country areas made a lir of money from interstate prospectors. Today, however those interstate travellers are becoming few and far between simply because the word has got out how little ground there is left for the travelling prospector. If our government was on the ball they would be investigating the towing up of ground by big business and well off miners who are taking up ground for the simple reason of denying the weekend and travelling prospector access.
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Oh they're real enough, but as their services are funded by the gold mining industry, it'd be a fair guess that most of their energy is directed towards theft from minesites, as that's where the major quantity of gold is dug up, processed, extracted and poured. But if a mining company complains about unauthorised detectorists on their lease areas, I think they'd come down on them like a ton of bricks.
It should be remembered that the Gold Squad are all full-time WA police officers, so while they're out and about, they'll also be looking for stolen property, firearms and ammo, drugs, unregistered/unroadworthy vehicles, wildlife poaching, etc. Cowboys who don't think they're real could be in for an unwelcome surprise some day.
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They are real enough! They came and dealt with two nasty caravans that refused to leave our lease last month!
Dave's Office
Have Detector Will Travel
It's not only the Gold Police you may encounter, WA Mines Dept. inspectors are out and about as well, I was queried a couple of years ago while detecting on a live lease for which I had permission to detect, he checked my miners rite and asked if I was detecting legally, I had the paperwork and all was good, he was very polite and amenable, but god help you if you get caught prospecting illegally.
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So not true!
There is almost as much ground as there always was. You access it via the 40E permit system
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Reliance on the 40E system for access to prospect is a clear indication that my statement is spot on. How many interstate travellers would even have known of the 40E system 2 or 3 decades ago? Open up the department maps and look for open ground in commonly known areas where gold is found if any one has any doubts. The WA economy in country areas gains significantly from interstate travellers looking for gold. During recent trips when talking to some of those travellers the most common comment I hear is how much ground is being locked up by companies on which there appears to be no action being taken. If anyone thinks that message is not being taken back to the east they should think again. Action is required by our state government if our country towns are to remain prosperous.
On my way back from WA.
Prospected on 8 leases. 3x 40e, rest pending.
On 2 of the 40e I had caretaker / drill boss ask to see my 40e and on 1 pending the applicant was trying to bluff people off. Didnt see anyone "official" on the other 5 leases.
an up to date Trilobite is invaluable...
btw i found gold on 5 of the leases (4oz total) so it is still there, or at least was
To put it all in perspective, the 3 x40e cost me 2.5g of gold, or were effectively free if you consider that i was mostly camping on the leases instead of a caravan park.
My only issue with the 40e system is the need for the contiguous blocks to be with one lease holder. On a lot of the best alluvial bits there are a number of leases crossing each grat block.
Prospected on 8 leases. 3x 40e, rest pending.
On 2 of the 40e I had caretaker / drill boss ask to see my 40e and on 1 pending the applicant was trying to bluff people off. Didnt see anyone "official" on the other 5 leases.
an up to date Trilobite is invaluable...
btw i found gold on 5 of the leases (4oz total) so it is still there, or at least was
To put it all in perspective, the 3 x40e cost me 2.5g of gold, or were effectively free if you consider that i was mostly camping on the leases instead of a caravan park.
My only issue with the 40e system is the need for the contiguous blocks to be with one lease holder. On a lot of the best alluvial bits there are a number of leases crossing each grat block.
There's a lot more to it than the availability of ground for travellers to prospect, mate:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/p...alia-murchison-remote-outback-towns/104218538
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Hi Rainbowgold
All I see is there was a **** load of Pending EL this year, I was putting my hair out as there was so many places I wanted to get too. Then you have all the other Pending ML, PL
Beinf out bush I've allways love,I don't stay in caravans like most ppl,4 months of detecting and only one place had ppl their,I got way out of towns,I do the hard yards.iam proud of myself for not having to rely on anyone for any tips on where to go,done this whole trip alone.and yes have found gold in one area in wa.it took 5 days to drive from Qld and did the round trip from Kalgoorlie up to marble bar Tom price,couldn't get in anywhere their,the pastoralist has signs on their gates warnings keep out.Just put a complaint in,they can't stop you from going in and detecting pending ground.I Will be putting 1 complaint in when I get home.
Some of the pending ground
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Dave, agree with you but very disappointing when you are on a 40e and you notice many others there and pass the info onto the mining company and they say they have no permit, then they make statements they will send someone out there and notify the GOLD POLICE and no one turns up. While you spend weeks out there and just look at all their unfilled holes. you wonder why bother raising it.
