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dredging in New Zealand - help wanted

mygold1		Posted : Monday, 10 December 2012 12:05:31 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 9/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 2 Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Hi Guys, Myself and a mate are looking to come to NZ next dredging season (2013) from Australia. Can any one help in what we are required to do to be on the legal side of things in dredging in the rivers or streams, or can any one put us in contact with or point us in the direction of someone who already has a claim that is willing to let us dredge there for a %. I have a heavy duty 5/6 inch dredge and a very much used 3 inch dredge ( i just love it). hope to hear from you soon. Cheers Greg n Steph

simon		Posted : Monday, 10 December 2012 8:51:57 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		you best start applying and paying now then mate! nz has a complicated process to get a permit. its not the permit for mining that is the problem usually. its all the other bits and pieces you need to get done, ie. water discharge / take, fish and game, land access , doc, iwi, counting wildlife..... you get to pay for all that to some department or other and at the end of it you can go mining probably. might be easier to buy an existing permit. a name change alone i'm told can be a 6 month procedure. i haven't heard of any tributes going but i'm sure if you talk to the right people they are out there. simon.
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dredgey		Posted : Monday, 10 December 2012 9:20:12 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 24/10/2012(UTC) Posts: 11 Location: Takaka Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 2 time(s) in 2 post(s)		buying an existing and setup claim is the easiest option, but not the cheapest! and also you dont know if youre getting a duffer of a claim as most sellers will only offer you a few days to have a poke around which is nowhere near enough time to make a descent evaluation of the property. Also not too many tributes anymore as most RMA consents and permits is still the owners responsibitiy and they can be liable for massive fines. And then there are the dodgy pricks out there that you cant trust on the claim. I dont like your chances mite be better off to suss somewhere unclaimed, outve the way and cross your fingers you dont get caught. You mite be better of risking it in aussie.

simon		Posted : Monday, 10 December 2012 10:18:05 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		dredgey, you've summed it up perfect. personally i would stay in oz if i was there. thinking i need to do a season there next winter. then again its a big risk spending up and travelling to lands unknown. may be better off in my own patch poking about. could turn out a fool and spend all my money and do worse than the local fields.
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oroplata		Posted : Monday, 10 December 2012 11:27:24 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		It's not that we hate Australians, but you'd be better off heading to Nome, with a big thick wetsuit. :) Like I said in my submission to the select committee - NZ mining laws discourage gold prospecting tourism.
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mygold1		Posted : Monday, 10 December 2012 11:04:07 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 9/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 2 Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Thanks guys, I have been doing a lot of weekend dredging on a local river way out of the road for years with no problems so I decided to take a month off work had give it a good go until someone reported me to the fisheries got 2 and a half weeks of great dredging in but now i have to keep low and quiet