Old Miners Right

:pick: POLITICAL PARTIES ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES :pick:

I did not look at National, as we kind of know their aims (big overseas corporations).
There is a chance they could get in, but the last time they had Bill English in an election, they lost severely, only gaining 21% of the vote. He’s a good finance minister, I feel he’s kind of been pushed back into the role, and he’s not a good fit in my opinionl.

In fact he even said after the loss, that he didn’t really want to be the party leader:
However, he did not openly organise against Shipley, and according to The Southland Times “there was almost an element of ‘aw, shucks, I’ll do it then’ about Mr English’s ascension”
I can remember when he was made leader the first time and I said “English who?”, as is often the case you don’t hear about these MP’s and then suddenly they’re in a top job all over the news!

The Opportunities Party aka TOP (Gareth Morgans Party)
New, this election, unlikely to get more that 5%, could perhaps get in on a single candidate. Also a lot of crazy cat ladies really hate Gareth Morgan. :pouting_cat:

Environmental Policy:
Economic growth must not come at the expense of the environment.
position is that we should leave the environment for our descendants in no worse shape than we inherited it – and preferably in better shape. We will protect and enhance our natural environment, not just because we love it, but because it makes good business sense.

They sound approchable to our hobby miners right.

New Zealand First

Environmental Policy:
All environmental policies will be proactive with a view to creating employment and sustainable wealth whilst improving one of our few competitive advantages.

Seek higher Crown levies on minerals extracted and return 25 per cent royalties to the source regions.

The Green Party
Their policies are not standard, difficult to find anything conclusive - unless they are holding back policies until closer to election time.
They are mostly concerned with Global Warming & Big Mining operations (especially oversease companies).

The Labour Party
Difficult to find a definitive environmental policy, perhaps they are saving them for the election also.
Mostly they are focused on hitting National over water quality issues. They have a focus on Global Warming too.

"Labour, we believe in sustainable economic growth.

Growth that delivers a fair reward to the people who work for it, and builds opportunities for the people that come after us.

My vision is of a diversified economy, in which low-carbon technology, weightless exports, a healthy high-quality tourism sector and sustainable value-added agriculture all have a role in keeping our people wealthy and our country working."
(A similar line to New Zealand First.)

The Maori Party
Mostly concerned with Water Rights.

“Seek a crucial role (Kaitiaki) in the management of environmental resources including our rivers, mountains and national parks.
Based on the spiritual and cultural relationship we have always had with the land, it is our responsibility and right to protect, restore and enhance the environment.”

They wish to divert some funding from Doc for this purpose. Might be able to sway them with a bit of the Miners Right fee put towards this Kaitiaki management role.

:pick: It will be important to have indepth consultation with Maori, to get them on board. Especially visiting different Iwi & marae to get all their varied views and get them on board (they will really appreciate this, too often are they overlooked, or completely disregarded).
A miners right could benefit low maori in low socioeconomic situations, and low economy towns.
They were prominent 1800’s gold mining, even following rushes to San Francisco & Klondike Gold Rushes.

:pick: An adversarial group that we could come up against, is angry anglers:

“It also prompted criticism and questions from New Zealand and overseas anglers, who fear for the future of the renowned trout fishery.
Abuse and threats have come through social media, blog sites and phone.”

:pick: This should be a last resort.
Petitioning the House of Representatives.

What is a petition?
A signed request for the House to take action.
A petition is a document addressed exclusively to the House of Representatives, signed by one
person or many people, requesting the House to take a clearly defined action on a matter of public policy or law, or to redress a local or private grievance.

Who can petition?
Any person can sign a petition
Anyone of any age may petition the House of Representatives, including corporations and unincorporated bodies having sufficient identity as organisations.

Should you petition?
You may petition the House when other remedies have been
exhausted.
Petitioning the House should be your last course of action. You may petition the House when no
other remedies are available, or where other statutory remedies have been exhausted.

As for a petition, I think focusing on gettting signatures from the South Island would be the go. More people would be responsive down there. An ideal goal I feel would be 100,000. Kids can sign it :slight_smile: Get your children to sign it! Probably mainly focus on the South Island (100,000 people live there right? :laughing: ), that’s were it would be easier to get support.
I’d be prepared to go out and do some surveying in the street.

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be good to get 100000 signatures but I think it would be a struggle for that many. winnys party would be a good start to chase. hes supposedly all for the wee man

If we could get a bunch of the smaller parties on board that might be the way to go.
With the maori Kaitiaki, the greens might come around to this as it helps the environment.
Perhaps if a portion of the fees also went to Doc funding.

Smaller parties are keen to have extra votes go their way. Lets say we had 30,000 supporters - that’s not insignificant. Especially in small South Island Electorates.
If we got just one or two people at debates asking if the candidate supports Hobby Miners Right - that could really get a party on board - once they are asked it at every debate it becomes an issue they have to give an opiniion/take a stand on.
We’d have to do some preemptive education of parties & electorate offices, so they wouldn’t be able to fob the issue off by claiming ignorance (such as fliers explaining our position, even visits).

Also if we get serious about this we need to give our group a name :slight_smile:

Hobby Prospectors Community?

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I had one of these and the Mines Department; sent you a multi paged foolscap which covered all types of mining. I will take a look through my old gear to see if I still have the copy.

I forgot to add in equipment above that it should also include metal detectors in the schedule of permitted tools - ME BAD! The fact that reminded me of this is that i have just come back to the big smoke and my metal detector got left by me up country - Oh Woe is me - withdrawl symptoms!

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From a council perspective, I can tell you it is unlikely to be especially popular as there are already too many idiots out there with metal detectors digging holes in sports fields and reserves with an attitude of “we have a right and you can’t stop us.”

hi there dean
you have the wrong end of the stick, not looking for rights to dig up sports fields or parks its more like up in the hills where no one hardly ever walks apart from crazy gold miners. it not a lenience to detect its for panning.

Nothing to do with councils at all. State owned land is administered by DOC. Pigs, possums, deer, goats and so on do a great deal more damage than all the metal detectorists in New Zealand could possibly do. In fact when 99 percent of metal detectorists pass by then you would never know they had been there AND they are also well known as being responsible for removing rubbish and cleaning up the environment.

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And if it was you or me it wouldn’t be a problem. But even in the current recreational panning areas, some people can’t distinguish between a gold pan and a 6-inch dredge (easily confused).
One thing you can be sure of in the society we currently live in, red tape isn’t going to be cut to give you more freedoms. Quite the opposite is my guess, especially with the idiots out there that only care about themselves.

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Rules are for the 1% Lammerlaw.

You speak for yourself but note well that nearly every detectorist DOES play by the unspoken rules of good practice with the environment in mind. I know that the suggestions above re the miners rights including detecting WOULD work because when gold prices went up many times in the early 1980s there was an amazing resurgency in gold mining interest INCLUDING dredging and yet the effect on the environment was nil. It would be no different now. Since when have you seen outspoken negativity about the metal detecting practices of the many who enjoy the hobby…this would indicate that 99 % are responsible.

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except for me. I must be 1%

Winter storms do far more damage to river banks, slips on hillsides, tree fell, than any detectorist/panner/hand sluicer could ever do.
Heck deer & wild pigs do more damage.

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Absolutely correct Goldpandemic… our diggings is a mere scratching on the surface compared to the natural erosion process…same applies in estuaries and beaches…unruley hole digging detectorist I have not seen many of… however they are a special kind of breed…lol!!!..you maybe in the wrong forum Dean

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any progress on reintroducing miners rights gavin. if I asked why a system like a fishing license couldnt be used would it be better to ask nzpam or the appropriate govt department.

I started to put together some wording but then got a bit snowed down with work etc. Hoping to jump back on it once I get a bit more free time again. Hoping to get away for a bit of winter sun somewhere, so I’ll try to knock it out then if get enough slack time.

Green party won’t come on board.
Here is the type of opposition we will face.

Well I can only say that the bloke on the left appears to have too many female whore-moans, the ‘woman’ in the middle appears to have too many male hormones and the one on the right may well be an animated bean pole.
On a serious note though the petroleum and minerals belongs to the crown and that means that the International Bankers, guilty of crimes against humanity get OUR gold and minerals and for that reason large scale mining like Macraes should not be allowed.
Once the ownership of petroleum and minerals has been taken by the citizens of New Zealand (and I dont mean Nationals foreign imports) then New Zealanders should be allowed to mine what is rightfully theirs. Aww

A tip for getting MP’s and media on board for gaining more fossicking areas (especially old Howard council fossicking area added to current fossicking areas).

Is to take them down there for a pan/sluice - let them see how fun it is to find their own gold.
Show them that it’s a fun thing for children to do on holidays & is a tourist draw card.
(get the media there to film it, & have a BBQ)

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It is all how you approach them and state your case - it is about educating them that we too are conservationalists and New Zealanders, supposedly the owners of this country (sic) or should I say ‘Sic erat scriptum’ have a right to the benefits of their own land. The Greens and all others need to realise that by looking after New Zealanders they look after their own interests and goals.
They need to realise that Gold Fossicking with a pan and shovel is minimal impact and in no way harms the environment and that rules and regulations can limit methods used to pan, shovel and sluice box or cradle.
GoldPandemics ideas make sense and the point he has made has a great deal of merit.
It is not about getting one or two more Fossicking sites however but establishing a large number so that people do not have to travel for hours to arrive at one.
It must also be remembered that not many people at all in proportion to the total population are interested in fossicking and therefore the population in general need to support fossickers by realising that by doing so they are in truth protecting their own rights and freedom.
It can be seen that the government, on behalf of their masters, are slowly eroding the rights of minority groups who have little say in matters.
Another instance in mind is NOT slamming down heavily on firearm related crimes so that firearms are shown to be the culprit and to show that no one should own them. This then convinces those who do not have the ability to think, the mindless sheep, that firearms are evil and no one should have them when the truth lies in the fact that when firearms are taken from the honest then only criminals will have them and the crime rate will escalate.The sentences for firearm related crimes should be so draconian and severe that crims think twice about using them to commit crimes BUT the government WANTS to show up firearms in bad light and therefore the criminal use of them is largely treated with kid gloves.
The moral of that story is that minority groups must protect each others interests with the view in mind that what ever the situation, as long as it hurts no one else nor the environment, then to support each others interests is to form a combined front to the erosion of rights and liberties.
Rant over!.