Time to kick butt again
Submitted: Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 09:20
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2014
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3
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Joe
Forwarding message from 4WDV...
To: All Four Wheel Drive Clubs
Subject:
Otways Protest Meeting – “RECLAIM THE
FORREST”
Folks,
The Colac Otway Shire organised a public meeting with VEAC in Colac on Thursday 22nd of July to make the local
population aware of what VEAC are recommending to the government in regard to a single
Otways National Park. The people who attended that meeting were not at all impressed with what VEAC had to say and the locals have released a paper arguing against the formation of a single
Otways National Park that agrees entirely with the submission that Four Wheel Drive Victoria has sent to VEAC (Copies of our submission can be downloaded from our website at
http://www.vafwdc.org.au/PDF/VEACSUBFINAL0704.pdf )
The local Otway community are organising a “Reclaim the
Forrest” Meeting at
Apollo Bay foreshore on Sunday 15th August. They are proposing a BBQ at midday followed by the protest meeting at 1.00pm, and they are looking at support from opposition politicians and strong media coverage from the TV networks. Four Wheel Drive Victoria is totally supportive of their protest and would like to get as many 4WD Clubs and members to attend as we can.
Look at how successful we were at Daylesford (and we got the result we wanted!) Can we get as many supporters to
Apollo Bay? We need your support!
Please advise as many club members as you can so that we CAN ensure a strong roll up! Put the trip in the trip book. Call all your friends and join the local community in making a stand against VEAC and let’s reclaim the forest!
Regards,
Brian Cox
Four Wheel Drive Victoria
PO Box 596
Balwyn North 3104
tel: 03 9857 5209
fax: 03 9857 5260
email: Brian.Cox@fwdvictoria.org.au
Website: www.fwdvictoria.org.au
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Reply By: Rob! - Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 11:30
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 11:30
Joe,
I'm not sure that mass rally protests are something that actually do us any good. Hi Joe
I think the last thing the public want to see is a bunch of aggressive big boys with their huge bull barred 4 wheel drives yelling slogans about reclaiming something that was never ours to begin with. Even your title "TIME TO KICK BUTT AGAIN" has tones (I imagine unintentional) of aggresion.
With our cars we have access to areas of the forests that standard folk don't, and should be thankfull for it, and perhaps appoach the issue of track closures from another way.
Maybe a better way would be for clubs to help the Rangers in maintaining forests by having something like tree planting days combined with a BBQ. Imagine if you saw that on those trashy afternoon "current affair" shows. Big guys with shovels planting trees side by side with the greenies.
It's just my opinion, but I think we have to tackle the issue of WHY they want the tracks closed rather then showing muscle, physical or political, to win the battle.
I think a mass rally is a band aid approach that won't fix the problem.
R.
AnswerID:
70030
Follow Up By: Joe - Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 13:45
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 13:45
Hi Rob,
Yes the aggrestion was unintioned. I along with many others within this
forum attented at the public meeting at Wombat/Daylesford.Almost 2,000 people interested in maintaining access to bush turned up and eveyone behaved and spoke
well.
THe outcomes from Wombat have been everything the key leaders wanted, but it would not have succeeded without the show of numbers.So I was focussed on the fact that the win/win outcome was because show of numbers, I think the same probably applies for
Apollo Bay
As I have indicated in post below, 4WDV are moving swiftly through the club network with stratagies to effectively tackle the "WHY".
Regards
Joe Mortelliti
TLC member Geelong
FollowupID:
330266
Follow Up By: Rob! - Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 14:51
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 14:51
Joe
Sorry to have sounded unsupportive. I do realise that people and clubs do a lot of (unpaid) work on this issue that the general public does not know about. And yes, numbers do count in such situations.
So all the best, and may there be a good outcome for everyone.
Now in an attempt not to be one of those poeple who talk rather then do I'll have to arrange to join in one of these tree planting / clean up expeditions.
Anybody know of any or keen to join one in SE QLD?
R.
FollowupID:
330272
Reply By: Brian B (QLD) - Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 12:11
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 12:11
Hey Joe,
Firstly I think Four Wheel Drive in Victoria need to be commended for their intent. I think we all collectively want to see access kept available for responsible four wheel drivers as much as is possible.
I do however agree with the post from Rob that perhaps their method may not be the best way to go.
This is only my opinion for what it is worth but I think Rob is spot on in that we need to be seen by the public as people who care about the land we drive on etc, and that we want to be part of keeping it in great condition. Let's get the emphasis off trucks, bullbars etc and onto these type positive subjects. I know some people might think this is airy fairy stuff but I think it is an option we should be looking at.
The idea of tree planting or assisting in some clean up work or similar is a great idea and more importantly it supports what should be our core principles as responsible four wheel drivers. These type events could be organised at some of our great locations and finished off with a good BBQ or similar so that we all get some great social time together as
well.
We want to look after the environment etc and do the right thing so that future generations have that same privilege, plus we want an accurate picture of ourselves to be displayed to the public and not this constant rubbish the media dish up.
I don't have the answer as yet about how we might do this but I will put my hand up for wanting to be involved in anything we might be able to do.
What do other folks think of this?
Cheers
AnswerID:
70035
Follow Up By: Joe - Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 13:31
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 13:31
Hi Brian,
Good points and I know these matters are beind addressed by 4WDV.
Regional reps at club levels are being established to develop relationships with Ranges and assist them were they can.
As I see it clubs public profiles will increase and benifits will be delivered to the
Ranger,to the forest, to the community as these new strategies gain momentem.
Regards
Joe Mortelliti
TLC Geelong member
FollowupID:
330262
Reply By: Mikell - Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 21:01
Wednesday, Jul 28, 2004 at 21:01
Im sorry but i cant agree with you blokes. We dont have the time left to hope that by tree planting with the greenies we will keep tracks open. This must be fought now or some of the best areas in the state are going to be locked away for good.
This State Government only seems to listen to the very vocal small minority groups. The silent majority are ignored. The only way we can do something is to become vocal ourselves.
AnswerID:
70119
Follow Up By: Joe - Thursday, Jul 29, 2004 at 10:07
Thursday, Jul 29, 2004 at 10:07
Mike,
A show of a couple of thousand people who behave and speak
well has to be a postive outcome. Politicians at end of day look at numbers of votes involved.
However on the other hand it is important at same time to develop other community stratagies, such as tree planting, adopt a track, and deliver benifits to Rangers, the forest,the community, while at same time ensuring these activities are promoted, lifting the profile of 4wd community and it's responsible attitude to issues.
Regards
Joe
FollowupID:
330397