Quad bikes in WA

Can anyone shed some light on using quads in WA goldfields. If you have section 20 A permits are you allowed to use it to access ground?
Can save a lot of walking or driving the 4 WD around randomly.
Any suggestions welcome.
cheers Vasilis

Top looking UXV there Panther. I see what you mean by extra luggage space.

Cheers kon61.

I know there was some dissent about folk tearing around in 4x4s and quads at one point. If you were on a station it would be wise to ask the owner /manager but I can't see any problem personally. To me it just makes good sense to be able to explore an area cheaply and a quad is ideal. We have a UXV and it can carry heaps of gear but you need a decent trailer for it. I would certainly use it if I was over there. We have it fitted with UHF as well.
Panther

Hi Panther - Great buggy. I was looking at them when in China a few years ago.
There are so many options and as you say it really does save time and a bit less ware on the hips.
Yes as usual it's the jerks that hoon around and stuff it for all. I have seen plenty of dirt bike in Vic doing more damage with 2 wheels.
cheers Vasilis

Hi,dont know the leagles of quads in wa,but have been in northern wa detecting,have seen bits of quad bikes in the gold fields,did not realise what or why,then i saw in one occasion,and then another,and then another ,OLD TIMER STAR PICKETS IN SALTBUSHES,need i say more? john.

Gday


Having never used a quad bike in the goldfields here I am not that sure about the legalities of them, but I have heard that their use in some areas has caused some issues, and having seen the damage left behind in areas that have been worked by several prospectors in a group all on quad bikes I am not surprised that there would be issues.

They quickly develope a series of well defined tracks and trails leading in and out of camp and if dragging coils they can also create a massive amount of damage to the surrounding scrub, one time I saw an area that was worked with a quad and drag coil and couldnt believe that the operator had virtually flattened every shrub and bush on the hill, I was quite disgusted at what I had seen and couldnt understand with so many flat and open bits in that particular area why they had decided to try and work over a scrub covered hill?

I think a bit of common sense is whats needed and making some enquiries and even checking with the station owners first would be a good idea.

cheers

stayyerAU

Another point, Unless you are on private land the Quad must be registered.

Panther

I met a farmer prospecting north of Kalgoorlie in 2009 that had a registered Quad bike on the fields and had it registered as a farm tractor of some discription. As i know in some states you need a special permit and most cases unable to register them street wise or legally.

Correct Exlporer. My own tractor isn't registered, but my daughters is so they can travel on roads within 30klm of the farm. Quads, buggies and tractors have to have mirrors, blinkers and lighting to meet aust. standards before they can be registered even for limited rego.

Panther

Thank you for the feedback and I am also concerned with inappropriate use of of quads,buggies or 4 wheel drives for that matter.
It's sad to think that it becomes an issue with a few wheel tracks here and there but not a lot of agitation towards heavy machinery (bulldozers,drilling,blasting - should I go on.....) As usual, it seems that some have taken the liberty of stuffing it for the responsible prospectors.
I will definitely seek permission from the landholders and would appreciate an update from people's current experiences in the wild West. Thanks
Looking forward to being in this beautiful part of the country.

I can tell you one thing and that Quads are being used in W.A and I have been inundated by people wanting Tow coils up to 2 meters in circumference, legal or not they are out there in large numbers. I might have to employ another person as we cannot keep up with demand.

Gday


After having seen the damage left behind by some I am not surprised that the pastoralists get dirty with them, I was in one area and we were approached by a leaseholder who was trying to track down a group of guys that were all using quads in the area.

I had met them a couple of days earlier, blind freddy could have followed the trails they had made to their camp spot, and as I had seen them leaving earlier that morning, so I told him so, he was really savage as the place looked as though there had been twenty quads there, they were not dragging coils but just using them to get around but even this got his back up.

Its for this very reason that I opted for the posty bike as it leaves very little in the way tracks and you have to go in and out of the scrub not over it as a quad does, using a quad on large open areas such as a salt lakes is neither here nor there, as there is little to damage, so if used sensibly and in the right types of areas it shouldnt be much of an issue.

Whether they would have to be registered or not for off road use I am not sure, but as far as I know when you are not going onto public roads then it would not matter, but it would be important to have a talk with the leaseholder and ask them if they would mind you using it as long as you were sensible and stuck to the open ground if you wanted to drag a coil about the place.

cheers

stayyerAU