If some of us were to get off our arses and get a Miners Association or similar organised, how many on this forum would join the association? I see the key role of an Association as lobbying the interests of hobby and Teir 2 miners etc, or it could be wider than that of course. The reason is that fresh water use and users are going to come under increasing pressure from consent authorities and other interest groups, and unless we develop a strong voice we are simply going to be sidelined into obscurity, and will find it increasingly harder to do the activity that we love to do. Having to make submissions last week on the ORC’s regional policy is but one example of why we need to form an Association. With an Association we can get more proactive in the debate and be recognised as a affected party and be included earlier rather than later in the process.
As miners we are really going to come up against it with organisations such as Forest and Bird, Fish and Game, Kai Tahu and for the Wkaktipu Area we have reasonably newby group known as Shaping Our Future.
If we dont get organised we will slowly be consigned to the dustbin of history.
Thanks, looks like there is support, but keep polling folks, be good to know real numbers. In the mean time does anyone on here have experience in setting organisations up. Know we will need a constitution and mission statement etc, but is there a difference between say and incorporated society, or association? If you have knowledge would be good to hear from you.
Definitely interested but I would suggest we setup a Gold Dredgers Association vs a miners association.
There is already the West Coast Commercial Goldminers Association (currently in the process of amalgamating with Minerals West Coast) and an Otago Alluvial Gold Miners Association (inactive).
By setting up a group focused on suction dredging we can ensure our resources are focused on the specific challenges we are facing as an activity. For example, actioning the ecological study on the impacts of suction dredging (detailed in another thread). With stakeholder sentiment becoming increasingly negative towards suction dredging, I feel having sound evidence to support suction dredging applications and renewals will become critical to their success.
Dredging will be focus, but i think we also need to be inclusive of everyone that we can, while the issues may be slightly different, but across the board there seems to be a minority ground swell against any activities that potentially affect water quality. The more members we have, regardless of dredging or non dredging, will give us greater influence. Anyway we need to leave actual details off of the forum at this stage.
In regards to fresh ecological studies regarding discharge affecting water quality do nz based studies need to be made when there are already north American studies on the same subject? Are we looking at water quality for drinking purposes or water based life or do these have a crossover to a degree.? I’ve got the feeling no matter what studies produce activities such as dredging are doomed. Just need to look at how the outdoors is slowly getting locked up in nz and Australia also.
seems to be about the ecology of the water body as best I can make out. The point is that we don’t actually, in general, suck up the whole river bed as this would be an uneconomic recover, but instead we target specific areas, thats my story and I’m sticking to it.
do you have any numbers of ppl in your mind that would be enough to kick this off. been suggested before but do you think an ad in newspapers or facebook (open to other suggestions) would maybe help increases potential member numbers.
This is a fantastic idea. Long overdue from my understanding as a noobie to this sweet nation.
As for the mission statement. I strongly urge “that we are willing to work with all stakeholders to ensure that small scale mining activities have minimal affects on the environment and that we seek to provide these much needed minerals in a sustainable way.”
Somebody on this site is trying to get a study together on the effects of dredging. This association should also be willing to do these studies. These studies should be done by independent people with the intention of providing us with feedback of how best to find our yellow stuff in a sustainable way.
I know that there are a lot of people on the website who, are anti “greenie”. But your rights as small time miners were sold off years ago to the big time miners by previous governments (cough: National Party)
My main point is, we need to build relationships with all the stakeholders and not make them our enemies. If we can’t do that, then this cause is already lost.
Our biggest concern will not be from the Government or the other stakeholders. It’ll be from the big mining corps. They will try their best to close us down by any means. Disinformation will be their angle of attack and we must have the science based facts to fight against them.
Hey Gavin,
How’s it going? Any chance you could make this poll available across the whole community and not just in this thread. I think it’s quite important to all of us. Maybe link it to this thread.
Hi Tim, I don’t think that’s possible with the functionality available on the forum. I think the people who are interested in it will find it and at this point it’s only a poll.
If the association is created and you’re looking to get members I’ll happily run a free ad across the site to make sure more eyeballs see it and hopefully encourage people to join.
I’m not sure if big mining corporations are the enemy to dredgers in nz. Generally dredging is in rivers whereas the big ground needed for corporate gold is land based. If anything there could be sort level of support as all mining is looked upon by popular opinion as bad and dirty etc. I think the problem is more misled environmental types following the road of let’s lock everyone out of public lands, private lands too in many instances. All govt agencies seem to be set up to make money and follow some sort of directive, then there’s the fish and game, tweety birds type of group that may never be pleased. Similar issues exist in Australia. Vic a good example where all groups are being locked out, from trail bikers, walkers, detectorists, firewood gatherers and more by turning vast tracts of land into national parks. Perhaps some sort of alignment with other outdoor groups would be worth considering for a common cause as all outdoor user group are slowly being picked away at… .
And here in lays the problem. You are relying on misinformation. Victoria is not losing it’s rights as you describe. If you think they are, then please supply some facts.