Wee Jasper

Still can as far as I know?

I was under the impression you couldn't use one out there after the other week and the mess that was made by someone using a H/B out there. I have also seen info from another forum about incidents in this area and that there are restrictions on the use of powered equipment in state forests and that the lease holder does not like people out there using them.

http://aussielapidaryforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=528.0

I for one don't want to be out there having a blue with the lease holder and giving him a reason to close the gate

I'd prefer to err on the side of caution and not create a situation that could potentially wreck it for everyone else I go out there to relax and not cause conflict

Col

Recently I applied for a fossicking Permit from the forestry office in dubbo. In the email they sent back it had a fossicking permit conditions. This is what it read.

Conditions for Fossicking Special Purpose Permit
1.For the purpose of this Authority
forest materialsmeans rock, stone, clay, shells, earth, sand, gravel or any like material.
fossicking means searching in a small way for minerals.
mineralsmeans minerals as defined by the Mining Act 1992.
2.A person must not, in the course of fossicking:
a) Excavate, undercut or damage the bank of any watercourse
b) Interfere with the flow of water in any watercourse
c) Cause pollution of any watercourse
d) Disturb mud or clay or fine silt so as to cause significant turbidity in any way watercourse.
e) Use any explosives or equipment or machinery operated by mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical power.
f) Drill or excavate a hole larger than 1 metre x 1 metre x 1 metre.
g) Damage or take any bush rock (not being a mineral)
h) Take more than
25kg of minerals (other than gold or gemstones; or
50gms of gold; or
100gms of gemstones
During any single period of 48hrs
i) The holder of this authority shall ensure that the site of any fossicking conducted under this authority is left in a clean and tidy condition and that any excavation made is filled in before making any further excavations.

From reading this I presumed that its referring to highbankers with petrol powered waterpumps. But I may be wrong. The rules as mbasko said on one of my threads "are as clear as mud"

Condition 2e seems pretty clear to me no pump no highbanker

Can't get any grayer than that if it's a word. As soon as you dig in a stream there is silt 99 percent of the time you will damage or displace bush rock and if you found 50 grams of gold nobody would be telling anybody the rules cos they would be digging too.

Can't get any grayer than that if it's a word. As soon as you dig in a stream there is silt 99 percent of the time you will damage or displace bush rock and if you found 50 grams of gold nobody would be telling anybody the rules cos they would be digging too.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/doc/member-docs/655/1376599694_sf_conditions.pdf

Greglz86 said:

2.A person must not, in the course of fossicking:
e) Use any explosives or equipment or machinery operated by mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical power.

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This should read: e) Use any explosives or equipment or machinery operated by mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical power for digging purposes as per link to pdf file above (directly from my permit).

Colin&Lee said:

Condition 2e seems pretty clear to me no pump no highbanker

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You can use a highbanker in a NSW state forest - no different to any other area you can fossick in NSW. Where it gets murky/grey is the permits DO NOT AUTHORISE fossicking in any part of state forest that is held under lease from the Crown so if the leaseholder gives you permission to fossick but not use a highbanker, then even though legally you are allowed, it would be very wise not to use one as the permission would in all likelihood be withdrawn very quickly. Another murky/grey area is how do you tell what part of state forests are under lease - are there signs etc.? No - not usually.

Of course there are also conditions around altering water flow, pollution of water & creating significant turbidity but these conditions apply in general to NSW regardless of location.

Yes I had heard about the bloke at Wee Jasper who doesn't like highbankers, probably the same bloke who was on here last week accusing people of dredging. Fortunately he doesn't make the rules. As mbasko said the rules state you cannot use a pump to aid excavation but can use it to process dirt. Don't be worried by people like this, we have all been highbanking in the forest for years and never had any troubles.

DD

Thanks guys. I'm pretty new to this. I'm finding the most confusing part of this prospecting game are the rules. Some are clear to me but some can easily confuse me. I'm happy there are people on here that can give me clear answers. I apologize in advance if I say something incorrect or misleading or just plain silly.

Greg

Thanks guy's

I don't want to stuff things up for other that's all. Just found my permit and it has the for digging purposes part on the end of the sentence as well.

Cheers

Col

Thanks to all responses.
As for the pooches, one of the farmers called past while I was at GG. no problems with having them there. They never leave my side and I was very aware of the stock in the paddocks. The pooches had a better time than I did chasing the rocks that i was throwing into the water.
As for Wee Jasper, I might give it a miss until I can get clarification about the hb.

A very interesting discussion - can I assume that mbasko & DD comments are the best interpretation of the permit/rules on HB use at Wee Jasper? ie it is OK iaw the permit words.
cheers Di

Permit in hand and new thermostat in car I took my Daughter out to Wee Jasper for two days. We managed to find a heap of nice little Zircons and a few Sapphires with the best being a 4ct green pictured below. We also managed .2g of chucky yellow







Cheers

C&L

Lovely stone mate, ( the green one) . Did you camp ?

joe said:

Lovely stone mate, ( the green one) . Did you camp ?

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Yo dude,

Yah mate we stayed two nights. Lovely spot really green and lush shame about the blackberries thou they seem to be getting a real strangle hold on the place.

Would the winch and steel cable pull them out?

definitely needs something out there.

Beautiful stone Col, nice gold too mate.

Good idea Joe, that would sort the Blackberries out.

Nice one Col.
Good to hear that the car wasent a major disaster also.

ChrisM said:

Nice one Col.
Good to hear that the car wasent a major disaster also.

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You know it's your lucky day when a blown head gasket ends up being a buggered thermostat.