With the recent two claims for sale on trademe that got me thinking about what the claim map actually means…
Like, when you look at 56274 you see that the claim is partly in the active riverbed and partly on dry land…
Then you look at 56179 and that claim is actually covering the whole width of the river…
So, does the claim, like the shotover one, move with the change of the active riverbed or does it actually stay like it’s on the map?
I think that’s probably same for the public fossicking areas… They also seem to be a bit off in some places…
I imagine ideally the claim should cover all the potential area that could be dredged, but I imagine with some of the older claims, that have been renewed multiple times, that the mapping available at the time may not have been the most accurate.
I feel it probably doesn’t matter too much with these more historic claims and that people will still mine in the areas that may not been 100% covered by the claim boundaries as long as you’re not creeping too far or onto someone else’s neighbouring claim.
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When applying for a new permit now nzpam makes you follow the exact river bed.
old claims need to apply to change the map to cover the bed of the river or else someone else can come in and claim the areas of open ground to mine themselves,
Thanks 
That’s what I expected…