Lake Eildon National Park - prospecting and fossicking is not permitted.

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So headed out to the newly opened Nat/Park at Lake Eildon today with my sights set on Jerusalem CreekEntering from the Hwy at Eildon is the best way as we later found out, Jerusalem Creek Rd will take you onto Mallet Trk and into zone 3 an area recommended for prospecting.

Well no wonder , Its a very hard unforgiving terrain with only very few spots to even be able to park your car as the overgrowth makes the area unsuitable for detecting, eventually we did manage to find a spot but had to drive through the creek to get thereThis can only be done with a 4WD DONT even think about going up there unless you have a 4WD.

Eventually did get to do some detecting but the small area I found was absolutely littered with trash It must have been an old camping site so gave the spot a miss and looked for another but again no luck as the vegetation is just to thick.

I can honestly say give the place a big X on your maps I know I won't be back.

Cheers
 
Ahhhh, what "Newly Opened" National Park are you referring to here? To my knowledge there are NO NEW AREAs opened at this time. Nothing has been passed through Parliament, and no new access areas. There are proposed areas as per the VEAC investigation, and the Minister has approved them, but they are not yet law.
 
Take notice of the first sentence in the story, "Will be...." not "Have been".

It may have been approved but has not yet been opened so I would stay out but considering it sounds barren there is that reason to stay away too :)
 
Just because some newspaper article says you can go dig does not mean it is yet law. As I said previously, the Minister has approved the changes. That is all. For these changes to be declared as law they have to go through the lower and upper houses of Parliament. The changes may not make it through parliament. It may also mean you cannot go in the recommended areas. It will also mean empowering Parks Victoria staff with the ability to prosecute law breakers.
I don't need to look at a map. These changes have not yet been gazetted and until they are, you are prospecting illegally and may be subject to prosecution.

The onus is on the prospector to make sure he/she is prospecting on land that is available for prospecting under a Miners Right. Its that simple. It's up to you to make sure you are legal. Saying you read it in a newspaper is not sufficient. There are ways you can check on line.
 
Thought to post my research to benefit us all please see my correspondence with Parks Victoria.

I would also like to acknowledge DetectaDaves comments to be trueHowever we can go into the light green areas as seen on the map see link Lake Eildon down the page. Also see my comments on zone 3 , I for one would be more than happy to stay out of there and looking at the map other spots look far more interesting and have the all clear.

Like I said this information will befit all those who were in doubt as was I.

email to Parks Vic
-- Comment --
Hi there, I would just like to clear up something that I believed to be true, I am a metal detector prospector and was hoping that you could shed light on my topic I have read that Lake Eildon was given a green light in a newly opened zone 3 for prospecting. Please clarify is this true or false as I do not wish to break any laws. Thank you and await your feedback in anticipation.
Kind Regards John.

On 24/06/2015, at 9:49 AM, Parks Victoria wrote:

Good morning John,

I just have spoken to the Area Chief Ranger and Team Leader at Lake Eildon National Park who have informed me that prospecting and fossicking is not permitted within Lake Eildon National Park.

They did mention that areas around Lake Eildon that do not fall within the boundaries of the National Park (i.e. State Forests and on private property with owners permission) allow fossicking.

Are you able to provide any further information as to where you found this information?

Kind regards,

Billy Urquhart
Customer Service Officer
Information Centre
Parks Victoria
T: 13 1963 I E: [email protected]
Level 10, 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
www.parks.vic.gov.au

Hi Billy and thank you for you reply, please see the link below as printed in the paper...The 2nd link on page two shows Lake Eildon Zone 3 the one in question.

I look forward to your feedback

Kind regards
John

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conse 31ziq.html
http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/documents/VE ps_B-G.pdf

Hi John,

The Area Chief Ranger has referred me to the Victorian Environmental Assessment Councils (VEAC) Investigation into Additional Prospecting Areas in Parks where the council recommended

(a) That recreational prospecting* be allowed in the eight areas listed below
1 Yankee Creek, Lerderderg State Park
2 Morning Star, Lerderderg State Park
3 Jerusalem Creek, Lake Eildon National Park
4 Howqua Hills South, Alpine National Park
5 Howqua Hills East, Alpine National Park
6 Howittville, Alpine National Park
7 Wombat PO, Alpine National Park
8 Eustaces, Alpine National Park;


The Victorian Governments supports this recommendation in principle; however, Recreational prospecting will be permitted, once the necessary amendments to the National Parks Act 1975 are made, in the eight areas recommended by VEAC in R1 (a).


The Vic National Parks Act 1975 (http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/ ) states:

32D Authorities to search for minerals in certain parks

Notwithstanding anything contained in this or any other Act, the Minister may by notice in the Government Gazette designate the area or areas in
(a) the parks described in any of the following
(i) Part 30, 41, 42 or 43 of Schedule Two;
(ii) Part 15, 26, 31, 36 or 38 of Schedule Two B;
(iii) Part 1 or 13 of Schedule Three;
(iv) Part 8 of Schedule Four
in which searching for minerals under a miner's right or tourist fossicking authority will be permitted;
(b) the parks described in any of the following
(i) Part 31 of Schedule Two;
(ii) Part 15 or 30 of Schedule Two B;
(iii) Part 15 of Schedule Three
in which searching for gemstones under a miner's right or tourist fossicking authority will be permitted;

None of the areas mentioned above refer to Lake Eildon national Park. The latest Victorian Government Gazette (http://www.gazette.vic.gov.au/gazette/Gazettes2014/GG2014G006.pdf#page=39 )
 
Those links didn't help me make my own assessment of the situation - the first took me to Sydney Morning Herald with no sign of the article you mention and the second link came back page not found. Conspiracy theorists would have a field day.
 
Marked said:
Those links didn't help me make my own assessment of the situation - the first took me to Sydney Morning Herald with no sign of the article you mention and the second link came back page not found. Conspiracy theorists would have a field day.

The links work for me, on Safari and Firefox browsers both 18 months ago when it was "new" news and now when it's "old" news.

casper
 
Yup - first paragraph of the SMH article; "... will be ..." and "... to be ..."

... and the light green areas on the maps are keyed as "State Forest" which us Mexicans should already know are our currently allowed areas ...
 
Ok so Shouldn't have posted the info for all of those who didn't know

Thanks for your positive feedback :p
 
Just bumping this for a moment - I came upon a map located here (sorry can't post the link yet) veac vic gov au documents/VEAC_Prospecting%20_Maps_B-G.pdf, o r google up "zone 3 gold prospecting eildon" and it should be the second link.

Based on the comments so far in this thread, can I assume that this area is now open to prospecting, albeit difficult terrain?

Heading up there with the fam anyway, so thought I might take the chance for a swing.
 
Hi all I see the last on Eildon was February 2016 now it's nearly 4 years past has anything changed?
 
Those Prospecting area proposals were rejected due to change of State Government.
Most likely 2020 VEAC ( Central West Investigation ) recommendations will occur, further limiting available prospecting areas within the Golden Triangle,
that is the latest update on that.
 
Personally Id keep a lower profile than calling Vic govt employees.

At any rate, not only can you not prospect there, within a short distance there are other areas (South Jamieson Gold District) that are much more accessible and wont attract unwanted attention.
 

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