Locking the gates got nothing to do with it being "their workplace" in my opinion. To put it bluntly that gate pictured above & their other signposted bush gate across another main access track aren't the only ways in. I too know the tracks 
It seems more about shutting down the obvious to the average Joe access points. I drove & walked around in there for a couple of hours the other day & in one spot could hear the machinery but never got close enough to actually see them. I could however see where they had been previously. They could easily just demarcate & signpost the specific access tracks into the worksite/s being "explored" without locking it all up to those not aware of "alternate" routes. It's a reasonably big area & from a safety viewpoint it's very easy to stay out of their way without issue. I don't want to stop them, interfere in what they're doing or if done correctly I don't care what methods they employ - I'm for exploration & mining not against it. I'm also for us blokes getting a fair go in amongst it too though so I question things. Not usually on here - just seemed that some things I seen the other day were relevant to this thread. Most of my questioning goes through the correct departments, as has this, to get answers or maybe get us a better go at things?
Anyhow I had a peek about & it's on my ever growing list of places to investigate more if things change here in NSW.
Don't get me started on the diggings I walked in a National Park on the same day - used to be State Forest & open to fossicking. Now appears closed (legally) to fossicking/detecting due to it being National Park. I'm trying to get the management plan for it as existing allowable activities should have been included but having read others I reckon it won't be knowing the NPWS policy on phasing us out as a recreational activity altogether. This is just another area we get screwed - State Forests, crown land, TSR's, reserves all allowable for fossicking to some degree then when/if they get changed over to National Park, SCA, Nature Reserve etc. they conveniently forget us in the management plans & we lose more areas. That's my winge for the week - #$&* the Greens & #$&* the EL holders that won't give us a fair go. :lol:
It seems more about shutting down the obvious to the average Joe access points. I drove & walked around in there for a couple of hours the other day & in one spot could hear the machinery but never got close enough to actually see them. I could however see where they had been previously. They could easily just demarcate & signpost the specific access tracks into the worksite/s being "explored" without locking it all up to those not aware of "alternate" routes. It's a reasonably big area & from a safety viewpoint it's very easy to stay out of their way without issue. I don't want to stop them, interfere in what they're doing or if done correctly I don't care what methods they employ - I'm for exploration & mining not against it. I'm also for us blokes getting a fair go in amongst it too though so I question things. Not usually on here - just seemed that some things I seen the other day were relevant to this thread. Most of my questioning goes through the correct departments, as has this, to get answers or maybe get us a better go at things?Anyhow I had a peek about & it's on my ever growing list of places to investigate more if things change here in NSW.
Don't get me started on the diggings I walked in a National Park on the same day - used to be State Forest & open to fossicking. Now appears closed (legally) to fossicking/detecting due to it being National Park. I'm trying to get the management plan for it as existing allowable activities should have been included but having read others I reckon it won't be knowing the NPWS policy on phasing us out as a recreational activity altogether. This is just another area we get screwed - State Forests, crown land, TSR's, reserves all allowable for fossicking to some degree then when/if they get changed over to National Park, SCA, Nature Reserve etc. they conveniently forget us in the management plans & we lose more areas. That's my winge for the week - #$&* the Greens & #$&* the EL holders that won't give us a fair go. :lol:
