Using a dredge in Australia for recreational prospecting is illegal - information and questions

[aussiefarmer]

I thought someone would jump in its illegal to release carp into water ways

 

[Smoky bandit]

I thought someone would jump in its illegal to release carp into water ways

Haha im sure it would also be illegal to drain a river..if thats possible

 

[Occasional_panner]

Keerectamondo my Farmer Friend.
Also the type of hose so the banker can not be turned into a dredge.
I helped write that one.

Its not illegal to pump water to a high banker as the NAPHA meeting made clear that government regulations are trying to reduce the size of hoses used to take water to the HB. If it was illegal to pump water the government wouldn't be trying to regulate hose size .

What are you referring to there Tath, regarding hose type?
I run a 3m section of suction hose from my pump to banker as it doesn't kink, I like it way more than lay flat even though it's a bloody pain to transport/pack etc.

 

[Tathradj]

OK.
Using lay flat hose between the pump and banker stops the banker being converted
to a dredge as lay flay will tear to pieces within a few seconds from abrasion.
This has not been adopted yet.
What I do to stop the lay flat from kinking is make up a dropper hose at the banker
to keep the hose flat on the ground.
Set your banker in place then run the hose out to the the pump setting it in a straight line.
No kinks then.
Plus you do not have a pump running under your feet.

The powers that be have seen a conversion kit that uses a suction nozzle hooked up to a Banker and jumped up and down about it.
Called a power Banker.
Not having any rigid hose will not allow the banker to be used for that.
You can use rigid on the suction side of the pump of course.
And No, You can not use a pump to suck gravel's. (yes, I know)
This is all in the pipe line at the moment .
If adopted, We will at least be able to High Bank.
If not, It is gone.

 

[reefer]

SILVER! I'M WITH YOU MATE!...Boy! what a setup...take my money!hehe..this looks a lot what they had been doing at Castlemaine..by the spot there where you can ..or could.. pan a little from whats left of the leads there..at least i imagine it would have been...boy would'nt the creek at Tuena muddy -up a bit with that thing hap'n at chinamans.. ...Eh Dougy...the old bloke pick'n nuggets out'a that sluice race looks a lot like you mate!...hehe

 

[Tathradj]

Hya Reefer Old Cobber.
Nah, Bloke in the photo looks more like you you old gnarly tree root. :lol:

 

[Tathradj]

Make it simple.
Train some Australops and Bantams.
Then letem loose.

What if i farmed Catfish and carp and painted the food pellets gold until they were trained to only eat gold colored things then release them into holes in the river gave them a week then pumped the river dry .
Then fire up the smoke house and gut the fish and sluiced their gizzzards .

 

[Tathradj]

Taste better than gold fish mate.
At least we would have a tasty treat. PMSL

 

[Tathradj]

Smoked Chook is even tastier. LOL

 

[narra]

Wel i thought that this dredging episode was going to be a fizzer started off slow then there was drama action history can't wait until the next episode

 

[silver]

Wel i thought that this dredging episode was going to be a fizzer started off slow then there was drama action history can't wait until the next episode

Even cooking too :lol:

 

[Occasional_panner]

OK.
Using lay flat hose between the pump and banker stops the banker being converted
to a dredge as lay flay will tear to pieces within a few seconds from abrasion.
This has not been adopted yet.
What I do to stop the lay flat from kinking is make up a dropper hose at the banker
to keep the hose flat on the ground.
Set your banker in place then run the hose out to the the pump setting it in a straight line.
No kinks then.
Plus you do not have a pump running under your feet.

The powers that be have seen a conversion kit that uses a suction nozzle hooked up to a Banker and jumped up and down about it.
Called a power Banker.
Not having any rigid hose will not allow the banker to be used for that.
You can use rigid on the suction side of the pump of course.
And No, You can not use a pump to suck gravel's. (yes, I know)
This is all in the pipe line at the moment .
If adopted, We will at least be able to High Bank.
If not, It is gone.

Yes as you can see in my profile pic I run a dropper pipe too, but I just find the solid pipe is easier as you can bend it around rocks etc.
Anyway is that new proposal just for NSW?
That pipe screws on btw for transport.

 

[Tathradj]

Yes, Just for NSW.

 

[shivan]

It seems this may have gone a bit OT, but are you trying to tell me now that if i have a section of flexi/spa hose attached to my highbanker its a dredge? That is the biggest joke i have heard in a while.
If the authorities cant tell the difference between hose running from a pump to a highbanker vs a hose running from a pump to a suction nozzle to a highbanker then we are all going to be in for a rude awakening imo.

 

[Tathradj]

It is true Shivan.
I have heard that one top ranking person
did not like pumps as well because they can be used to
suck gravel from the bottom of a stream.
Heard that one a while ago.

 

[iana]

Is there likely to be any restriction to the size of the layflat? I know the 2" I use is a bit of an overkill but it was very cheap and i already had some fittings...

 

[shivan]

Not having a go at you Tathradj, i know the ongoing crap fight that is happening regarding legislation and do respect the work being done on those fronts.

But the battle feels like its already lost if they are trying to call something a dredge just because of the hose it uses and not because it actually has the ability to dredge.
Dredging is already illegal and 99% of prospectors/fossickers know this, so why try to focus on highbankers with flexi hose setups that are not dredging, it makes no sense.
All this will do is make trouble for people who do try and do the right thing, do you really think it will have any impact on the people already out there illegally dredging or planning on it?

Where did the shift from the legality of pumps to the legality of hoses come from? Again if dredging is already illegal why the hell are we even talking about hose types........

 

[Occasional_panner]

Well glad I'm in Vic, we can highbank, and dryblow with mechanical drive.

 

[Smoky bandit]

Well glad I'm in Vic, we can highbank, and dryblow with mechanical drive.

:lol:

 

[Eski]

Just so everyone is clear - i'm not wanting to fly close to the sun , i was just wondering what is /is not allowed. i find it difficult to carry buckets and using small buckets does not appeal... Ideally i would use pick and shovel to break the ground and somehow use water to get it to the sluice - i cant afford/carry a 20ft conveyor belt.

OK.

The powers that be have seen a conversion kit that uses a suction nozzle hooked up to a Banker and jumped up and down about it.
Called a power Banker.
Not having any rigid hose will not allow the banker to be used for that.
You can use rigid on the suction side of the pump of course.
And No, You can not use a pump to suck gravel's. (yes, I know)
This is all in the pipe line at the moment .
If adopted, We will at least be able to High Bank.
If not, It is gone.

Hey Tath, Are you saying there is a proposal to allow this sort of thing in NSW or to ban highbankers because they can be used in that way?

Thanks for the link Blisters.