Can i Detect national parks nsw? do i need a licence?

Hello all,

im new to detecting and have a minelab gpx and my question is am i allowed to metal detect on national park beaches in NSW currently im in Jervis Bay National park camping area and when i paid my site fees to stay i asked The National park Staff if i was allowed to detect on the beach i met with the responce "Good Question i dont know" they called some 1 else in parks and they didnt know either!

also do i need a licence to prospect (metal detect) in NSW? i have a Licence for Victoria

Thankyou Fossicker

Hi there Fossicker.I did some research on this question a year or two back.Can't find the E-mails I received from National Parks but the word was that below the "mean" high tide mark was fair game.Soon after I had a "yes I can..no you can't" stand off with a Ranger who after checking on his radio,gave me the green light.I also talked to someone about marine reserves and they seemed to think me removing lead and other metals from that enviroment was a good idea.Just use a minimum-disturbance policy.I also found that it is O.K to transport your detector through the National park on your way to the beach...just don't fire it up in the park itself! Have heard of big fines etc but can't actually find the official word on that.As far as detecting licences for NSW..all I know is you need a permit in State Forests but you can't get one to cover all districts..a bit of a pain to be sure.
Good luck..Cheers..Dave

Yes Dave, the permits required for each different State Forest Area is quite annoying, isn't it. I might even go as far as to say, it's a bloody pain in the arse.

Jig.

Ye s these bloody departments cant see the forest for the trees

National Parks in NSW are forbidden to detectorists and numerous prospectors have had their detectors (and sometimes even their cars) confiscated for doing just this. The most recent case I know of dates back about two weeks ago (in the Barrington region) and I was informed that the prospector lost his GPX-4000 to park rangers. The one location that rangers are said to zealously pursue prospectors is in the Kiandra Goldfield near the ACT.

Getting caught in a State Forest without a permit to detect in the forest is also a distinct possibility with Bathurst Park's officers currently patrolling Sunny Corner due to illegal use of machinery there recently. The department also told me they were hunting someone that has been using a backhoe out that way as well and I was given the impression they really want to catch that particular person.

On the other hand, there may be provisions to allow detecting in about half a dozen National Parks in Victoria (where the rules are slightly different to NSW). This can be seen in the PDF posted here the other day on the thread discussing new fines for failure to comply with rules.

NSW State Forests are unfortunately unable to communicate with different branches of the same so you'll hear all sorts of conflicting excuses for them not being able to issue with a single license that covers all areas without suitable cause. They even have different access permits for reforested (pine) areas compared to native bushland. I have a special permit due to my work that allows me to access all forests in NSW but unless I contact the correct appropriate department head, I can't get it renewed. I've found some departments to be very helpful and others to be extremely oblivious to the different options that are available to the prospector. Phone around and see how you go.

Keep your permit on hand at all times. I keep a duplicate in the control box pouch on my detectors and the original in my shirt pocket plus I keep a copy in my vehicle. If you travel across the NSW border to Victoria and are using a Miner's Right, be sure to keep it on you at all times if you wish to pick up any gold or you'll be guilty of breaking a very old law: "Theft from the Crown".

Do we need a nsw fossickers licence in NSW for Detecting????

I think we do..... What do others think?????

Do you mean that, as we have no fossickers licence now, we should implement one to support a new department of bureaucrats ?

Perhaps to make it perfect, we could let the Forestry offices handle them and we could apply for a new one in every forestry area we visited.

Jig.

Hi Fossicker.Just tracked down some info on the Nat. Parks site.I gave you a bum steer in my reply to your post thanks to word of mouth from the department.The official word is you can't even be in possession of a detector in a Nat. Park so you can't transit on your way to a beach. Have a look at clause 13(3) a.
http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/fragview/repealed/subordleg+394+1995+whole+0+Y?tocnav=y
Cheers ...Dave

nero_design wrote: I have a special permit due to my work that allows me to access all forests in NSW

hi marco

are you saying you can detect all forests because of your work?

cheers

If you scroll down on that Nat. Parks site to "penalties" you will see that the fine is $300 .Have often heard that the fine is $10,000 with confiscation of vehicles and equipment..an urban myth? Any danger of getting an official representative of Nat. Parks and also State Forests onto this forum for a guest appearance to field members enquiries? Maybe the Mines Dept too.
Cheers..Dave

HI there,
In regards to losing it all as being an urban myth? Well I used to be in the hunting game and did hear of and knew some people who had got into a lot of strife through poaching National parks. They do have the power to sieze vehicles and equipment or anything else that has aided you in your illegal forray.
Though I seriously doubt it would come about of a first offence. But in saying that, If it is an area of constant breaking of the rules in that form(weather it be hunting or detecting)They may be inclined to hand out harsh one off penalties..

Paul

Hi Silwane,Thanks for your reply.I am still interested to know if these Departments have the power to decide penalties or is it up to a court of law?I can't find anything on the National parks web-site about confiscating equipment.Not suggesting that I am heading out to break the law but I do like to have access to the facts.
Cheers Dave

l think it should be allowed , maybe they could create a new special mining licence just for national parks, as long as people fill their holes in it doesnt do any harm.

Hi Hotrock..couldnt agree more.If we are only removing gold as opposed to relics or Aboriginal stuff..what is the problem? National parks aren't exactly sacred in OZ.It is all up to the discretion of the Minister.If some giant Chinese mining company discovers uranium under Ayers Rock then stand back! Big operators can prospect in National Parks so why not Joe Blows like us?
Cheers..Dave

When they start taxing the gold us joe blows find and figure out some ludacris fee that we have to start paying for extra revenue. Then they might open the parks to detecting.. For an extra fee!!

blueyonder wrote:Hi Silwane,Thanks for your reply.I am still interested to know if these Departments have the power to decide penalties or is it up to a court of law?I can't find anything on the National parks web-site about confiscating equipment.Not suggesting that I am heading out to break the law but I do like to have access to the facts.
Cheers Dave

It works a few different ways. If it's going to be a fine, and the ranger is on his own, he will photograph you and your vehicle and equipment before approaching you and informing you that you are in breech of the law and will fine you on the spot. They consider such fines to be mandatory and I have not yet heard of a case where they let someone off with just a warning for a serious breech. If he is with a partner or is teamed with a Federal Police officer, they can confiscate your car on the spot (because in the eyes of the law it is being used to commit a crime). This can also occur if your vehicle is on private property and is being used for illegal mining (eg: to tow a mechanical backhoe etc). Since they're usually in a vehicle, they communicate your details by radio. They can also confiscate your equipment on the spot without a police officer present and this is why certain legislation exists... it allows fines and other actions to be carried out by the Rangers. Rangers have more power to do so than a civilian ...and the police have more operating powers than Rangers do. All Park Rangers know the rules, the laws (including the applicable legislation) and can administer fines or call for police assistance.

There's cases of people in both Nundle and the Turon who had left the location unchallenged and yet were later fined for dredging in the area. The one on the Turon was apologetic and contrite but was fined $3,000 with the fine being delivered to him after he had returned home. The guy at Nundle was fined $110,000 and this was brought to bear on him even though he had left the area some time before the charge was made. Their activities and details were recorded by locals and the authorities used this information to charge the offenders after a brief investigation.

Offenders in Kiandra goldfield were hit with the "federal police+parks officer combinations" and they had their cars seized immediately plus had their detectors confiscated and were forced to walk out of the area on foot. Even using a sluice that is too heavy for a single person to lift by themselves is considered to be in violation of current legislation pertaining to mining and fossicking.

National Parks in NSW are considered to be Absolutely Off Limits to detectorists. The situation varies in other states like Victoria where National Parks are treated differently than in NSW.

OK..this is a bit rude..but I just sent this to Nat. Parks
Hi there..I am a member of a prospecting forum and would appreciate some contact with your department.Gold prospecting and recovery is a major part of our history and is still important to a lot of us,mainly as a recreational activity.Would someone please contact our forum to put the departments view? Most of us have the protection of the environment at heart and would like to know how we stand with prospecting in National Parks as compared to major Mining interests.Cheers..Dave/Blueyonder

https://golddetecting.forumotion.net/t3925-can-i-detect-national-parks-nsw-do-i-need-a-licence

That would be dreadful if you spent a few hours in a national park with your detector, don't find anything ,then driving out your stopped , you lose your car $30 grand and dectector $4 grand, no way l would risk going to a national park. The laws pity tough considering metal detecting does virtually no damage to the environemnt , most holes or tiny and most full them in

nero_design wrote: I have a special permit due to my work that allows me to access all forests in NSW .

hi marco

you seemed to have missed this simple question earlier

are you saying you have a permit to detect in all forests because of your work?

cheers

Hi
The Parks Rangers are so under staffed and too lazy to leave their air conditioning that they with all their University training.
Have come up with the idea of buying a large batch of hidden motion activated video cameras they hide in the trees on tracks and roads too see who is coming and going, it’s a spill over from the old rubbish dumping days, now there is commercial ones on the market.
I guess you could walk in through the bush around the cameras to your favorite spots.
I’m not saying “I am the one” who goes around pushing dead Green Tree Frogs in the container of the cameras attracting Maggots to put guuu on the camera lens and make the foul dry reaching smell only these frogs can make.
So let’s put our hands together for all the schooling these dedicated Rangers have they can’t be denied.

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