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"