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Syndyne

Shaun Galman
Joined
Apr 9, 2013
Messages
822
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1,064
Location
Lightning Ridge, N.S.W.
Hi all,

Here's a little something I'd thought I'd share and offer a bit of an incite as to what goes on up here on the opal now.

I decided to head out onto the fields for a speck on Tuesday (after the good rains) to an old area I've worked and frequented numerous times over the years only to be greeted by a closed gate with large chain and padlock! Well I was somewhat confused by the matter and all I could do was just stand there and scratch my head. Reluctantly I got back in the ute and turned for home (about a 44klm run out there and back!).

Our old mining partner John popped by just before and I told him what happened. He turned to me and said; Didn't you hear? As of last Friday the farmers are now locking all gates to miners and are seeking written permission to be on their land -that they only lease from Western Lands and do not own.
He went on to then tell me that the Mines Department (DPI or Maratime and Fishing or, whatever they call themselves these days?!) here can offer an alternative in the form of a permit but, that will cost you $50 for three months. The bonds (paid to the farmers as compensation to look after the roads and rehabilitate claims -which they hardly ever do) on each registered claim has now gone from $25 back in the 90's when it was first introduced, up to $50 in the early 2000's and as of Friday up to $200 per claim PLUS the $500 bond owed to the Mines Department along with the registration fees -not sure what they are now but I'll bet they're astronomical!

I feel so enraged about this at the moment. ALL the opal bearing ridges here have been subject to mining for as long as I can remember and open to anyone to mine or prospect or whatever involving the opal industry. Due to only three, yes a mere three farmers (if you can call them that, I could think of far worse names lol!) the black opal industry is now having the FINAL nail driven into the coffin.

I've been debating on whether or not to go back mining recently after a three year hiatus looking after Dad but, now I'm just thinking of forgetting the whole thing. It's probably cheaper and less of a headache to just stay home. :/

And I thought it was difficult getting out on the gold in areas now. That's got nothing on the changes this place is going through currently. They seem to make up their own rules and forget about the miner's rights.

I've still got to go down to the Mines Department and sort out the gold prospecting licenses for the State Forrest so I'll get the word straight from the horses mouth on just what rubbish is going on up here.

This is the only place on the entire planet that gem quality black opal comes from! The three lousy farmers can move anywhere they like in this big country and run a few cattle but, what can the opal miners do... ? I'm at a loss for words with this news.

Apologies for the rant. Opal is was my livelihood for sixteen years so I feel very strongly when things go south -much as many of you feel on the gold or gems when rules change for the worse or areas are made off-limits for no real reason.
Cheers,
Shauno.
 
Sorry to hear mate, I dont get why the government is so against blokes getting out and having a crack. Funny that the big miners have the power to oust a Prime minister, yet small time dont even seem to have any form of representation at the top level.
 
Well, that's just what they want us to do (walk away).

Biggest headache for the Government is the fact the opal miners (in Qld and NSW) have always been seen as a menus by the graziers.
(Buy the way, I am on good terms with all the property owners I am associated with, talking with them is a good way to ease there concerns and help out where needed.)

The government receives probably less revenue than it costs to manage these regional offices and police the comers and goers. So you can't blame them really.

With some miners paying little or no royalties or taxes on cash sales it brings a bad reputation to the whole industry, of course they want us gone.

Those of us who are trying to abide by the law are penalized along with them. We can either tuff it out and hope we find enough opal to cover expenses and provide an income or we get out.

Opal is a relatively unquantifiable resource, at best it is risky. I have known guys from the "Ridge" who have pulled up thousands of dollars in nobbies with the 9" auger and when mining the same claim found no more.

I saw one chunk of angle stone that contained $80,000 in opal nobbies but again nothing else in the claim. (not bad for in 5 kg chunk of angle stone though). And Some guys that haven't had a decent find in ten years.( those are normally the guys who just won't listen to the voice of experience).

These new restrictions and fees with EPA, OH & S, mines department, native title agreements, property owner agreements and compensation, oh yeh, there is that fuel bill again and
the locked gates just make it harder for those small miners who are already struggling in all states.
And they wonder why we say "The beach and the dole is looking good!"

We just need to be a little more "scientific" in our research and prospecting so we have something to show for our efforts. Find your own patch.
I hope it works out for the better Syndyne, might keep some of the unwanted visitors away.
 
Things have changed out there in the 15 years iv been gone, the safety
courses i think were a good idea! But Im still yet to do mine' i bet not one
miner came away without learning something.
But as to closed gates, well Slacksmith had the right idea back when I
was there. Arms open building dams and all, i bet he made millons out of
the miners. Is he still alive to spend the money?
The town has slowed down alot since id lefted and i agree where else do mine
you find black opal? Blocking access to everyone except those who can pay is he
not in keeping with the opal history and the right for a fair go. Not to mention
how much export dollars have come in over the years from opal.
As for giving up mining well i was surprised that 4 out of 5 miners I
knew were still there and the 5th had only just left! I think of what i think
had done in the years that i was gone and think to myself you only live once.
Iv opened 6 shops, reno a old house and sailed for 7 years along the coast exploring.
My advice to the young is get out there and live life while you still got some get up and go in ya,
Well as for me coming back! Once you have been bitten by the opal bug you never
stop dreaming of it.
 
That's rough Shauno, every industry is changing. In the Audio industry if you want clients (if you can find clients these days) in your studio every single piece of equipment must be tagged and tested every I think 6 months. Same as if it were on a wet and dirty building site. :mad:

That's about 50 bucks for each bit of gear. Also everyone records their own stuff these days and do such a great job (not) that experience means nothing (most think). Also if you score a job, make it sound great, big, warm, huge, it ends up on mp3 and sounds like crud. Also audio is not the most exciting job in the world but audio schools are churning out "engineers" by the hundreds with virtually no jobs available. I sold all my gear this year and won't return to the game.

Anyway I know pretty much how you feel mate. Gee up all the Opal miners to go on strike and refuse to sell Opal, restrict it's sale and the price may sky rocket, a good old fashioned picket line stopping anyone not in on the protest from digging. The communists have snuck in over the years and they want everyone living on handouts.

OH&S is slowly killing a lot of small businesses, sure people need to be careful but some of the rules are rediculous. A fair go in Australia is a thing of the past for the little bloke, we live in the most over regulated country in the world where only big corporations can thrive. No-one in this country can go a day without accidentally breaking some studid rule which may get you a fine. We have also pretty much forgotten how to protest, too much flouride in the water or hormones in food or something.........

Ahhh that's better, rant over. :D

Sapphires Shauno, the way you dig you'd be onto nice one's in no time. :)
 
Cheers guys!

Yeah, it's quite the conundrum. We were talking about this for a few hours last night (during a four hour power outage) and still came to the same conclusions. It's such a double-edged sword, particularly in that these farmers actually own and have mined claims themselves. I still have a chuckle to myself when I wonder if they need permission to be on the fields or pay exorbitant bonds to themselves when registering :p

Keen Ken: I totally agree. I had the same thoughts. They're probably just trying to quickly resolve and close another regional Mines office down to cut employees needed up here for the small handful of miners left.
(I would've loved to have seen that lump of Anglestone by the way. Must've been something else to see!)
I've heard over the grapevine that the QLD opal industry is undergoing some drastic changes to their laws also. I haven't really heard from anyone mining up that way for a few years now. I wonder how they're battling on?

dezman: Yep, Slacksmith is still about. It was his property where I encountered the locked gate (heading out to the Boggy Hill field).
The courses were definitely a good idea and very much needed at the time! The influx of tourists coming here to mine simply had no clue what they were getting themselves into. This resulted in more than enough accidents (and even worse when deaths occurred!) throughout the years so something had to be done. Quite a few miners (who probably should've known better) had their share of incidents and related deaths also. Getting the message across to think common sense and safety all the time was a great step forward.
The last I knew, the Mines Department were still running the three separate courses: Safety, Environmental and Mine Manager.
If you ever find your way back over here by all means feel free to drop me a line. Always welcome to stop in here for a cuppa and a chat. :)

Heatho: True words. There just aren't the number of miners left here today with the nous to stand up to the changes anymore. All the ones with any ability to do so (and even those who tried their best) saw the writing on the wall and left years ago or, just gave up trying. Those of us still mining had to let it all slip by as frustratingly it can become a very costly, no win situation. We have the L.R.M.A. (Lightning Ridge Miners Association) here to take up these fights on the miners behalf. I'm not sure they've ever had a positive influence on the town thus far.

I think you may be right though... Sapphires here I come! *grabs shovel and runs off into the sunset* lol! :D

I wonder where will it all end.
It's so sad to have to look back into the past to see better times. How is that progress? I feel sorry for the next few generations to come and what they'll face in their future as far as battling for their freedoms.

Kindest regards,
Shauno.
 
Hi all,

I'll add this amendment to the post as it outlines these 'new' guidelines: http://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/235303/lr-code-of-conduct.pdf

I hadn't been made aware of these laws or had even heard of the changes made to the mining amendment act stated 1994 (that were changed in 2008) as far as locking the gates to stop access goes. Even when mining and registering numerous claims on various fields right up to the end of 2010. I was still completely unaware of this course of action.

Food for thought.
Cheers,
Shauno.
 
Syndyne said:
I think you may be right though... Sapphires here I come! *grabs shovel and runs off into the sunset* lol! :D

I wonder where will it all end.
It's so sad to have to look back into the past to see better times. How is that progress? I feel sorry for the next few generations to come and what they'll face in their future as far as battling for their freedoms.

Kindest regards,
Shauno.

Don't forget your seives while running off into the sunset.

Seriously though I don't know where it will end, most kids will never have known the freedoms we had as kids so won't remember. Each succesive government takes a little more away, adds another tax or a few new rules. The problem with rules also is a nightmare as only Lawers seem to become politicians and write laws so complex no-one can understand them.

When we are all microchipped they will be happy.
 

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