another missing prospector, lucky he was found

First topic message reminder :

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-23/search-for-prospector-missing-in-goldfields/5473014

another one goes missing but thankfully was found alive and well. happening too often with the upsurge in prospectors out there.
the death last year of Michael Graham (RIP) and recent searches has prompted a review of safety guidelines by the Department of Mines, with prospectors being urged to carry safety locators.

now for a can of worms.

You need EPIRB and ticket to go fishing in a boat just 2km from shore so maybe its time to licence prospectors in a similar fashion. just show you are fully equipped (EPIRB, GPS ETC) and capable of repair to vehicles and maybe tyres have a suitable vehicle and navigation equipment and know how to use it. surely it will be worth the hassle, most prospectors in WA are already on it and would just need to show up, show there stuff and get issued the ticket. the rest will learn what they need to prospect safely. there would be a once off fee to cover admin costs and time but shouldn't be huge ( currently $178 for a skippers ticket).

so rather that the mining department regulating and dictating to us, maybe we should get a recognized prospecting ticket organized ourselves through Department of transport or safety or other organisation (suggestions?).
thoughts anyone?

Oneday, totally agree, you can't legislate against stupidity in anything, gazza

rules & more rules , said it before I dislike it ,i work on the mines & see it escalating by the month ... nar by the week . All because the idiots & stupid set the bar [ low ] & the rest are cut in to their low level .
Government control in my view on such stuff revolts me , its another freedom lost ,due to idiots ... natural selection has worked for zillions of years , don't interfere with nature , even the do gooder greenies could tell ya that   

i agree with the law of natural selection to an extent, and believe me I am against regulations and gov intervention more than most but I can also see there are times when regulations are necessary although they can take years to be accepted, smoking in cars when kids in back, seat belts,   drink driving (in suburbia of course   ) smoking whilst filling your tank at the fuel station, txt when driving, smoking bans under 18 ETC. most of these regulations are instigated to protect the innocent not so much the initiator and there is no difference with prospecting. when the ones without aid get lost as happened 9 times last year they put many innocent caring people that assist with the search and rescue/recovery lives in danger at great cost to the tax payer (my father was in SES for many years and saw first hand the carnage stupidity does).  I may shed a tear for all you lot if lost and unfortunately died in the bush and it wont do out cause or forum any good and ultimately will only ensure stricter regulations if we as the go to forum for WA didnt do the responsible thing and advocate enforcing PLB's for every one going remote, including tourists and others out there.
no doubt natural selection has worked for millions of years but would that stop you moving hell and earth to find them and breaking down in tears and ask questions why did it happen if it was your dad or son/daughter best mate out there who is lost and died? personally I would buy one for my mates and family venturing out and insist they take it or as said earlier, sew it into the back pack or harness. no brainer to have one. dumb not to when a relatively cheap rescue device is available for all.

Yep the government can piss off on this one I reckon, is there nothing sacred anymore. What ever happened to the "Wild West"..??. geeez,
"Education NOT regulation". If I get lost and perish and people get sad for a while afterwards then too bad too sad. Its bad enough with all the dam fees etc just to go and catch a fish these days, fees to even enter national parks etc , the list goes on. Once the government have finished taxing all our pastimes and god given rights and putting fees on anything that moves , so we have to stay home and sit on the couch whats next, a fee for sitting on ya own dam couch so you can watch the news about missing people. ppppffftttt !!!
RW