Prospectors free to dig up National Parks
The Baillieu Government directed the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) to determine which areas of eastern Victoria’s National Parks prospectors and fossickers will be allowed into. VEAC isn’t to look at IF prospecting should be allowed but where.
Fossicking includes metal detecting, digging holes and panning for gold, all detrimental activities especially to stream sides.
Previous attempts at monitoring fossicker activity has failed in central Victoria, so we don’t hold out much hope of monitoring activities in more remote areas like East Gippsland.
Ample opportunities already exist for fossickers in State Forest areas. We have to wonder what the agenda is here.