Anyone with an interest in Hill End should have a read of the Hill End Histiric Site draft plan & make comment by January 4 2021.
https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/hill-end-historic-site-draft-plan
On a whole the document doesn't pose a great deal of threat to hobby fossickers/prospectors. I do 100% agree with the conservation of these historic sites & the need to protect them.
There are a few areas of concern though.
I put in that these areas should be NPWS responsibility to mark/barricade & maps should be available at the Visitors Info Centre.
I had been previously unaware of these Part 11 areas.
The areas are marked in the draft along with other NPWS no go areas:
As a heads up it appears NPWS will be putting together a strategy for more of these types acquisitions:
As part of the Hill End Historical Site Draft Management Plan they also have a Hill End Historic Site Draft Planning Considerations document available here:
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/...d-historic-site-draft-planning-considerations
Again no real threat to hobby fossickers/prospectors though I did highlight the following that I thought was erroneously added.
The only area/s I've seen modern significant ground disturbance out there on the Common was obviously caused by the use of machinery (illegal mining?).
As such instead of listing "fossicking" as the cause of significant ground disturbance NPWS should have a section in their list of Considerations that specifically addresses all illegal activities like shooting/hunting, 4WD, mining/fossicking, firewood collection etc. that doesn't single fossicking out or suggest that an otherwise legal activity on Crown Land is the cause of significant ground disturbance.
Anyhow if interested in the area have a look & make comment if you want to. Pretty straight forward & can be done via an online form.
https://www.nsw.gov.au/have-your-say/hill-end-historic-site-draft-plan
On a whole the document doesn't pose a great deal of threat to hobby fossickers/prospectors. I do 100% agree with the conservation of these historic sites & the need to protect them.
There are a few areas of concern though.
There have been several areas acquired by NPWS under Part 11 of the NPWS Act basically giving them control over parcels deemed to have historical significance. This isn't really a huge issue (at the moment) other than these areas are not clearly marked & may be inadvertently thought to be part of the Common hence ok to detect, dig etc.NPWS Hill End Historic Site Draft Management Plan said:
I put in that these areas should be NPWS responsibility to mark/barricade & maps should be available at the Visitors Info Centre.
I had been previously unaware of these Part 11 areas.
The areas are marked in the draft along with other NPWS no go areas:
As a heads up it appears NPWS will be putting together a strategy for more of these types acquisitions:
NPWS Hill End Historic Site Draft Management Plan said:
As part of the Hill End Historical Site Draft Management Plan they also have a Hill End Historic Site Draft Planning Considerations document available here:
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/...d-historic-site-draft-planning-considerations
Again no real threat to hobby fossickers/prospectors though I did highlight the following that I thought was erroneously added.
In my submission I pointed out that legal hobby fossicking/prospecting has not resulted in significant ground disturbance. Any ground disturbance made by legal fossicking is insignificant, especially in comparison to the gold rush diggings.NPWS Historic Site Draft Management Plan Considerations said:
The only area/s I've seen modern significant ground disturbance out there on the Common was obviously caused by the use of machinery (illegal mining?).
As such instead of listing "fossicking" as the cause of significant ground disturbance NPWS should have a section in their list of Considerations that specifically addresses all illegal activities like shooting/hunting, 4WD, mining/fossicking, firewood collection etc. that doesn't single fossicking out or suggest that an otherwise legal activity on Crown Land is the cause of significant ground disturbance.
Anyhow if interested in the area have a look & make comment if you want to. Pretty straight forward & can be done via an online form.
Will jump into a submission ASAP....Every opportunity to have a say in these processes is an exercise in free speech and a vital part of our Democratic System....I encourage all and sundry to take that opportunity and make a submission.
