Our access is being denied to Mt Crawford declared Fossicking Area..SA

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I remember roaming around Mt Crawford in my 20's detecting and gem fossicking, and there was free access to drive just about anywhere. Of course areas of harvesting activities were temporarily signposted, though you could literally drive up to any of the marked mineral/gem localities on their pamphlets with no troubles.

I think one of the main issues in the area aside from the waste dumping and stolen car bodies, was the ruining of wet tracks by week-end warriors in their four wheel drives. Some of the roads would become impassable due to ripping up of those real slippery clay tracks during the winter months, making access very difficult for the forestry guys as well as prospectors. I feel that this where costs blow outs exist on repairing and re-dressing the tracks vs the odd car body or dumped waste. There is also the issue of asset management, espsecially with regards to fires in the plantations. Closing off these areas obviously limits the possibility of deliberate or accidental lighting of fires.

I must admit I was surprised in more recent years visiting the area, on how many of those favourite spots are now locked up, requiring a hefty hike to get anywhere near them. Whilst I don't have an issue of packing a detector and roaming around the area, I do feel for the older generation who have now been effectively limited to where they can go, especially with medical or physical issues. Not to mention how far you would need to hike if bitten by a snake, injured, or faced with a bushfire (yes they do occur on none fire ban days).

Sometimes I would park down near Sailors Gully, and hike all over the area, with the unnerving knowledge that my car was prone to break in and theft, not to mention the expensive gear that prospectors typically have sitting in their vehicles. Having to walk everywhere does severely limit the amount of time you have to prospect, not to mention having to be back at your car before the main gates are closed for the day. To avoid this I would usually stick to Rocky Creek Road/Watts Gully Roads which are permanently open public gazzetted roads.

Not sure what can be done about it, nor what could be a practical solution, though I'm sure it will be very hard to reverse such decision once implemented. At least fossicking is still relatively unhindered, aside from direct access, though unfortunately the areas that are easily accessed, are the ones that get a regular hammering.
 
Thanks for that report Goldpick. I'm going to shake their tree and see what falls out..waiting for their reply, I don't think the have the authority to lock it up during the day, but are doing it because it is convenient for them..
 
Regulation 10 Use of Vehicles:

(1) A person must not, without lawful authority, drive or ride a vehicle in a forest reserve.

(2) Sub regulation (1) does not apply to a person who drives or rides a vehicle in a forest reserve other than a native forest reserve
(a) On an established road or track ( other than a road or track or part thereof, that has been closed off by a sign or barrier erected with the approval of the Corporation).....copy of email received from forestry yesterday..2a..is what they are saying..Sign or barrier erected with the approval of the corporation..My thought is that this would be done for safety reasons if they were working in a perticular area so it could be closed ..next move is to asks what the guide lines are for the corporation to put these signs and barriers up.
 
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I would have thought this is a valid reason for road closure,not for the convenience of staff like in the dedicated fossicking area at Mt Crawford.....copy of email sent to forestry SA.. Shaking the tree..
 
An Update on this item. Today I drove from Kadina to Mt Crawford, some 2 1/4 Hrs one way, paid my $5, and then found that the only places I could access Mt Crawford was Watts Gully Rd, Rocky Creek Rd, and the picnic grounds. Now I get that I could have walked in but with a 2k walk one way and a crook ticker, there's no way I could have lasted. The Forestry Rangers would have had to open up to let an Ambulance in to pick me up. I suspect access is being reduced because of the idiots who like to light fires, so I dont know how we can have it any better. If anyone else has had hassles let me know. Maybe it was just today. I'd be interested to know how Nenad gone beeping seems to get the access he does.
 
Thanks Daz..been fishing for 2 weeks ,haven't had a reply to my last email..to forestry...it's locked up for only one reason,to make it easy to lock the gates when they knock off..going to move up the ladder to management and get some answers..Cheers..
 
I can understand the hassles they face with idiots wanting to light fires etc, and I don't mean camp fires, but its a bit maddening to drive there, pay your 5 bucks and then find you cant actually get to the spots you wanted to visit. I think next time I go I'll go during the week when there's more access[That's if I go again] Might justsave up my dollars and go to the GT in Vict. There at least they dont lock us out and my money will go to the furthering of the detecting sport in that state.
 
new member and first time poster. heading up there today for an explore I will let you all know what its like. never tried this sorted thing before. I am a stone mason by trade so to speak, making benchtops out of granite and marble. love getting out in nature so hope this hobbie can bring two loves of mine together. any tips would be great. heading out with a shovel a bucket and a pan haha no clue novice but always learning!!
 
"approval of the Corporation"

There you have it guys. An amoral, faceless, non existent in physical reality, construction of diseased minds has total power over real, living, breathing human beings. Collectively, we have debased human existence to the point where we are all simply fodder for the corporate meat grinders we ourselves created.

Let's face it, prospectors are simply picking the pocket of the poor multi billion dollar mining corporations. Every scrap of gold found by us meatbags is reducing future mining profits. Not to mention the fact that one lucky find could lead to emancipation from free range slavery and discovery of the Sovereign Being that you always were before corporate ghouls began feasting on your life force.

As sure as the sun shines, the moment it is financially viable to mine in places like Mt. Crawford the corporation responsible for its safe keeping will grant access to a fellow corporation to do as it pleases.

Good luck reasoning with a beast whose sole reason for its tenuous existence is simply to perpetuate itself and it's BS systems. The idea that a few locked gates will stop firebugs lighting fires or stop vandals vandalising is absolutely ludicrous.

If anyone from S.A. or elsewhere wants to come and do some prospecting in the GT give me a hoy. You can use my place as a base and regional Victoria will be more than happy to have your tourist dollar. I guarantee you will not need to pay $5 to look at a locked gate :D
 
Hey Multisau , right on the button there mate and just exactly how did these Corporations attach themselves to government regulations via statutes in the first place ?

I am constantly reminded of comments made by former NSW premier Nick Greiner who stated in 1992 that " heads of governments delude themselves that its better if they are in charge" . Nick Greiner and former QLD treasurer Keith DE Lacey were commissioned in 1992 -1993 to change Commonwealth company and tax laws so the states could deregulate and privatize assets which included government departments and that's what you have with Forrestry SA today , an example being PMG ETSA etc , which are now government owned corporations and the so called department heads are merely titular . Each of these former departments are now headed by a CEO.... How did the bastards achieve this you ask , well the answer is simple it was done through clever marketing propaganda and an enormous amount of apathy from the general public....

Mate is that offer of using your pad as a base still open ?

Best of luck fellow prospectors as we are gunna need it
 
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