National Heritage Listing. - Vic Goldfields

"when I prospect here its Heritage"

Once again it sounds as though "someone with nothing better to do" has put a bad dream onto paper!
Maybe if the PMAV could get something together and then stir up a hornets nest through a current affair,
or the like, it just may stop things before they get too big a hold?

Something sure needs to be done! Remeber the lock out on using the high country? Lets stop anything like
that from happening here. alan u

I hesitate to reply, but I've led a lot of successful campaigns on various things over the years and I hope someone will consider listening. If we carry on too much publicly without even any threat being made over our prospecting rights (remember Mount Alexander Shire already has this same National Heritage Park listing [completely different to 'National Park" listing which stops many activities] and prospecting is allowed here), we will publicly draw attention to prospectors and get people who'd never noticed us asking questions.

Best I think to keep the camo gear on till someone, anyone, mentions prospecting, then we reply with a well thought out and punchy response. Banging the drum loudly so everyone notices us when they don't need to is a bad idea.

Since it's Goldfields Shire who started the campaign (that's Maryborough, one of the lowest income and highest unemployment areas in Victoria) anyone can ring a councillor over there to see what their reasons for proposing this are. Best to pick a councillor who is likely to be sympathetic.

Marigold wrote: Banging the drum loudly so everyone notices us when they don't need to is a bad idea.

With respect Marigold the greenies and doogooders are continually banging their drums loudly all the time and are getting heard all the time, this is the problem.

We just say next to nothing and get on with what we are doing because thats just how we are, and then its to late, by that time the others have got their stupid pointless ideas across, and we say "BUGGER" there goes another area locked away.

cheers dave

davsgold wrote: With respect Marigold the greenies and doogooders are continually banging their drums loudly all the time and are getting heard all the time, this is the problem. cheers dave

Generally that's probably true Dave, but I haven't heard them banging on about this proposal yet, and I don't want to hear them. Let's not get the chooks squawking to alert the fox just yet hay?

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Thanks for the alert Goldstalker, I'll watch the late WIN regional news repeated after 11 tonight. There's no way they would have said anything about changing or restricting anything though, just the basic proposal to increase the classification already covered by Castlemaine/Maldon area (for 7-8yrs so far) which hasn't changed a thing for any of us.

If you really want to start on premature-e-squawkulation, don't let anyone stop you. What would I know?

Ears to the ground (as you've done, thanks Goldstalker) and let's keep an eye on what's being proposed.

"Be alert but not alarmed", or "Be alarmed but not aware". Your choice. I won't apologise for my twisted sense of humour - it comes from having six brothers...

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Hello fencejumper, I can see you're a fellow stirrer.

I've lived here over 30 years and camping hasn't been 'allowed' in that time, (even though I have done so many times myself, woops, have I given it away?). This is nothing to do with the new National Heritage Park category brought in about 2002. The bush here is fragmented and prone to fires - a few years ago a fire was started by out-of-towners who obviously didn't know how to quietly and inconspicuosly stay the night and put out their campfire. I'd suggest that if you were sleeping in a little vehicle or tent and you were smart enough to find a spot that wouldn't be spotted by Parks Victoria rangers, you could be okay. But since this forum doesn't condone anything illegal... Are you nuts fencejumper!!!

There are very nice designated camping areas at Vaughan and Glenluce, and I hope you don't stay at them soon because they are very good gold prospecting areas.


EDIT: I have rung Parks Victoria and I'm wrong about the camping rules. "Dispersed camping" is allowed in Mount Alexander region as well as in the designated camping areas. No fees apply. Sorry for the wrong information - and to think I snuck around hiding while camping years ago...

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Maybe the world is coming to an end......

As far as I know, there has been no camping officially allowed in the Mount Alexander Diggings for decades except for a few designated areas that I mentioned - there are probably more areas. I'm not a government official, I'm only saying what I know. How about you ring Parks Victoria and find out for yourself? I'm getting a bit sick of being the target of people's unwarranted anger at some imagined current or future restrictions.


EDIT: When I followed my own advice and rang Parks Victoria I found there *is* general camping allowed in the area. My apology for wrong information.

skysite wrote:Maybe the world is coming to an end......

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fencejumper wrote:hi marigold,
the fact is if this goes through there will be more rules..that is not imagined it's a fact
so lets just say our opinions differ

Where do you get your "facts" from fencejumper?

Marigold if your sick of people attacking your comments, then why reply !
Cheers Chris.
P.s Once the listing is official the gates are opened for what ever change they wish to make!
Tourism, the Government spend billions on walk/Bike tracks! What do us prospectors ever get, nothing except for more rules we must abide by.

someday wrote:Marigold if your sick of people attacking your comments, then why reply !

Good point someday. You shut me down last night and you may as well do the same tonight. Over and out for tonight.

For everyones sake let's hope this doesn't happen especially for our kids....the bush belongs to all Australians and shouldn't be shut down so the greens and our government can put tourist dollars in there pocket...maybe they should spend money educating the 10% of people on how to look after the bush instead of shutting the 90% of people who treat it like there own back yard out...the bush belongs to all not just our greedy government who is out of touch on this subject....
Dave

skysite wrote:For everyones sake let's hope this doesn't happen especially for our kids....the bush belongs to all Australians and shouldn't be shut down so the greens and our government can put tourist dollars in there pocket...maybe they should spend money educating the 10% of people on how to look after the bush instead of shutting the 90% of people who treat it like there own back yard out...the bush belongs to all not just our greedy government who is out of touch on this subject....
Dave

Skysite I am with you on this your dead right in what you say.
cheers

The thing that worries me is that once you turn something into National Heritage it requires that you preserve it in that state. Does this then mean that once this happens we will be saying this used to be a gold field in the old days but not any more. We need to remind then this is a working goldfield not a relic!!! to be fenced off and viewed from platforms.Surley part of our national heritage is being able to be in the bush unimpeaded is that not the diffrence between here and many other countries... is freedom of the bush not also national heritage for us and future generations? Or have I completley missed the point.
Once we are locked out of an are there is no going back just look at whats happening in the high country.
Gotta go while theres still some places to roll out the swag.
Cheers...Swaggy

Marigold, I can see why you hesitated to comment on this issue after reading some "shooting from the hip responses" Your measured comments, which I agree with, obviously come from someone who has done the hard yards in previous campaigns.
We are all trying to achieve the same result, protecting our prospecting rights. So don`t be daunted Marigold, when the time comes for a campaign, and it probably will, we will need you and everyones knowledge and experience to fight the good fight. MacRob.

Exactly swaggy once they do lock us out theres no going back we have to have a voice before the fact not after...If we are locked out of the bush our heritage will be lost not gained this is what makes us Australian and the fellows before us fought for there rights to use the land many years ago and would be turning in there graves at the thought of a bunch of suits sitting in there office taking it away from us...i total agree that there are a few places where we should look and not touch such as old buildings ect but most prospectors have the respect and common sence to leave these areas as they are ..but as for old diggings that would be over grown with weeds ect if people didnt use the area is crazy..
Dave

Bloody Hopeless.
The stupid idiots who think up these great rules never leave their office and never go out into the bush. They are hopeless. It makes me sick how they lie and cheat to get their winning seat and then they stab us all in the back and change their mind. The only way effective change will occur is if we follow the Egypt example, we need to rise up, not civil war yet.... but I feel its coming.
Then they will take notice. Acan

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Anyone else taken note of the fact that, even though the present problem involves Vic; Members from every state are really taking an interest ? [b]

When I posted this article on Finders last Saturday I only expected a few locals here in Maryborough area to comment and post their thoughts. Very pleased that Brian Jones also picked it and made others aware. I am quite suprised that there has been no comment from PMAV so far, I don't recall any mention of this in the last Uereka Echo either.

Ah well maybe it will be a good thing to get prospectors out of the bush as right now you cant do anything with dozens of eyes and ears in every nook and cranny of the forest so ounce you all get kicked out then some can come in and clean right up big time dredge, fire hose/ hydraulic sluice, kanga whatever, try using any of those right now with nosey prospectors hanging around all the time you couldnt do it, but without prospectors which would be the biggest worry by a verry long chalk you could do as you pleased, the government pfft you could sluice an entire gully long before anyone knows whats what.

Adaduam
That's what the big star on the Australian flag means all states as one......not to mention the song...we are one but we are many.....this is what makes us Australian....
Oh except for Qld tomorrow night when NSW kicks there ass in the state of origin......


GO THE BLUES

adaduam wrote:Anyone else taken note of the fact that, even though the present problem involves Vic; Members from every state are really taking an interest ? [b]

It has to start some where !! and IF it gets in in VIC the other states will follow
World Heritage = nogo zone for the activities that made the area what it is ..... greenies will jump on this one and have everyone locked out
Be Warned

Hi Dave,

Your just kidding yourself. QLD will do to NSW like every other time and WIN.

Remember 2010.

GO QLD Acan