My view is that recreational and sporting activities should be encouraged in Victoria and Australia.
I see prospecting as a recreational activity and as such fully support the responsible participation in this activity.
Whilst some environmentally minded people may consider prospecting activities as a threat to our state and national parks and waterways, I am of the belief that as a state if we work closely with organisations such as yours we can ensure that prospecting can occur in harmony with the environment.
Chris Byrne
Independent candidate for Eltham.
Australian Country Alliance fully supports recreational gold prospecting in Victoria’s parks.
It is an activity in parks that must be protected not just because it is very low impact ,but also because it is a country way of life steeped in Victoria’s gold history that also brings city people and overseas dollars to rural Victoria especially Ripon.
Modern recreational gold prospecting is very low impact, lower than many other recreational pursuits allowed in parks.
Low impact recreation gold prospecting needs to be just another recreational pursuit in parks. You should have equal access as to other recreational activities.
Then you can’t be singled out and you would have on your side every other recreational group if areas are proposed to be excluded.
ACA if elected would propose that recreational gold prospecting be a recreational activity allowed wherever other recreational activity is allowed and wherever recreational gold prospecting is currently allowed.
Trevor Domaschenz, Australian Country Alliance Candidate for Ripon
I also go prospecting and sometimes work with geologists.
What is wrong with prospecting in National Parks, they allow farmers to graze them?
It is the mentality of government that is the problem.
Too afraid to create prosperity and hate to see someone enjoying themselves.
Don't mention the word gun!
Leigh McDonald, Independent Candidate, Gippsland East
Thank you for taking the time to contact me and provide me with this information.
I'll be sure to provide the feedback to the Minister for Environment over the coming weeks.
Michael Gidley, State Member of Parliament (Liberal)
As a Fisher and Shooter myself I understand the concerns of the future with certain sections of our community trying to dictate where we can and can't go within our own state. Rise Up Australia Party is against groups such as the Greens trying to tell us what we need in the bush from their inner city apartments. I too want to be able to do some prospecting in the future. If I get into the upper house after the election I will be fighting hard to maintain our access to the bush and pushing back some of the restrictions already in place, where appropriate. The best people to manage the bush are those that live work and play in it and its organised groups that do this the best. Who restocks the fisheries and look after the wetlands when cameras are not around. Not those who want to lock it up. It is my opinion that prospecting is a part of our heritage and a part that should remain. Of course we need to look after our land of course we need to reinstate the ground when we have finished and take care of our waterways and we do and we will.
Tim Middleton, Rise Up Australia Party Northern Victoria Region
I am replying on behalf of myself and my colleague Brenton Wight. I've been in contact with Rita many times on this issue this year. I have known Rita for many years since she and PMAV were actively involved in the Bush Users Group.
The Nationals are strong supporters of prospectors and will continue to advocate on your behalf for better access to the areas you seek to prospect in. I appreciate the VEAC report has been of some concern to PMAV members and clearly we have work to do, but I will continue to ensure access is available for prospectors and miners and that the misconceptions about your activities within government are addressed as much as possible.
Danny O'Brien MP Member for Eastern Region (National Party)
Mark Verschuur, Liberal Canidate for Monbulk rang to express his support for prospecting and promised to take the issue up with his colleagues if elected.
Wade Noonan's electorate office, ALP Williamstown, responded by phone to assure us that Wade would take our concerns to Cabinet if they gained Government.
I will continue to support your association and the responsible practices of your members in pursuing your interests.
Bruce Atkinson, Liberal Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region
1. Why is recreational prospecting in parks treated differently to other activities?
2. Will you support a removal of the regulatory anomaly which separates prospecting from other recreational activities?
3. Will you support the reinstatement of areas available for prospecting that we have lost over the years?
4. Do you recognise the inability of VEAC to make impartial recommendations and do you support the establishment of a representative, balanced advisory council?
5. Do you know that there are over 6,000 holders of a Miners Right who will be considering your Party's attitude to prospecting when they vote on 29th November?
Responses received are listed below.
Questions we asked candidates:
James Keays, ACA candidate for Buninyong is also the President of the PMAV's Ballarat branch. If James gets across the line, he will ensure our interests are well-represented.
I am a candidate for the Rise Up Australia Party whose primary party platform is to Keep Australia Australian - for generations to come.
We believe in caring for our environment in a balanced way so we can ALL enjoy its resources. That means we do not intend to lock it away from the very people we are standing to serve.
I must admit I have seen shocking images (on the mainstream media) of holes, supposedly dug by prospectors, that you could bury a car in. I and the party however have also experienced extreme media bias/fiction/refusal to report honestly or at all and so I am inclined to believe what you say re modern fossicking and I personally haven't seen any great damage in my roaming around the bush.
I also believe we can always find a balanced win win to every issue anyway even if it meant, as a last resort, possibly rotating the areas in use etc. for a period of time.
If an irresponsible prospector did routinely create unacceptable damage then obviously that irresponsible prospector needs to be served an individual penalty as with any infringement (we don't put every driver off the road because of the few dangerous/drunken drivers) and so in the same way it does not seem reasonable to serve a group penalty on all enthusiasts ie having a default ban on all prospectors from pursuing their chosen sport/hobby/employment/enjoyment of the bush. That does not seem reasonable, fair or logical.
In RUA we stand opposed to Agenda 21 - restricting access to our land etc. We want Australia to remain a sovereign nation, preserve our freedoms and encourage the enjoyment of our great country for generations to come.
We stand for common sense. RUA will stop the sell off of our land and industry into foreign ownership and return to being predominately self sufficient in cheap energy, agriculture and industry.
We need to protect our bushland by funding for long slow cool winter mosaic burns to reduce the fuel load in the bush and thereby minimising the frequency and intensity of bush fires and the subsequent change in regrowth.
We are free from the influences of big business or unions and stand committed to exposing/ending the corruption so increasingly common in our world today.
All RUA candidates agree to put the nation above the party and the party above ourselves.
I would appreciate it if you had a look at our policies online at www.riseupaustralia.com.au
Sandra Caddy Rise Up Australia (RUA) candidate for Bendigo West