Garie Beach

Are we allowed to collect driftwood from beaches and rivers in Australia? ?

I know that some seashell collecting requires a permit therefore was wondering about driftwood... Truth Teller reckons only if you are indiginous but there seems to be a lot of people who use it for craft or art??? I am not a school student therefore no one to advise me.... I think that I will contact National Parks and wildlife to set the record straight. Some driftwood is "natural" but some isn't. Would you consider man-made "drift-wood" to be part of the eco-system??? And i don't know many aboriginal people who would think that a piece of wood was their ancestor; bone maybe.... Wood would be more totem or weapon etc.

Public Comments

1. No,u have to be an indigenous person (aboriginal) as the driftwood may be a sacred relic
2. You are supposed to leave the naturally occurring things on the beach so that the sea life like crabs and the bird life that use it as part of the eco - system have it there for their use. By removing it we destroy the eco - system. if your friends wanted to do the right thing they should have consulted a Park Ranger and asked permission to take some driftwood for craft classes. Also where was your art and craft teacher if he/she didn't offer some guidance in relation to this matter? Shw/he should have been giving you guidance in relation to the environment. You are to be commended for having the integrity to ask what is the right thing to do first. Interest - environmental Artist - John Dahlsen http://www.byronbaydirectory.com.au/listing/john_dahlsen_environmental_artist_abstract_painter.html I would ask the Park Rangers in you state what the laws are in relation to collecting drift wood off the beach. Explain the purpose for which you want to use it. I have to admit that I have seen it in peoples gardens. New South Wales http://www.stateparks.nsw.gov.au/?utm_source=Yahoo&utm_medium=yahoo%2Fpaid&utm_campaign=Yahoo%2BPaid&OVRAW=National%20parks%20and%20wildlife&OVKEY=national%20parks%20and%20wildlife&OVMTC=standard&OVADID=6954641542&OVKWID=93643609542 Queensland http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/ Australian National Parks Links http://www.atn.com.au/links/parks.html South Australian Department of the Environment http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/ Parks Tasmania http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/ National Parks and Wildlife Service http://www.npws.ie/en/ National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 - this will be heavy going. You probably won't use it but it will give you and idea of what is used to enforce the rules in preserving the rules in Parks and the preservation of Wild Life http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/npawa1974247/ I hope that this information helps you. Cheers!!!
3. truth teller is right. They may well believe that the drift wood you take home is, in fact, their great grandmother. Why would you want to do that?