TRACK WATCH PRESIDENTS REPORT.
Submitted: Saturday, Oct 02, 2004 at 09:19
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fourstall2000
An excellent article by the president of the Victorian assoc of 4wd clubs in the latest trackwatch magazine.
He wrote about the politicisation of the Enviroment assesment council by goverment.
And how Peter Garrett highlighted how important it was for the Green movement to oppose development and economic growth.
The Labour party is desperately courting the greens to enable them to obtain goverment.
Should labour become elected,their debt to the greens will be such that our access to the forests,and our
recreation as a whole will be completely under attack by the extreme green movement as never before.
The fact that the Bullbar issue has been raised again,(and the attack against city based 4wdrives) just before the election is no coincidence,but a part of a concerted plan.
I have no particular political leaning but would urge all 4wd owners who value their freedom to seriously consider their choice at the election.
Yours in free access to public lands.
Member LROCV 22 years.
Reply By: Patrol22 (Queanbeyan - Saturday, Oct 02, 2004 at 18:04
Saturday, Oct 02, 2004 at 18:04
Enjoy my access to the bush as much as anyone else but I think you are drawing an awfully long bow with this argument. After all we have 6 State and 2 Territory Labor Governments at the moment and unless things have change when I wasn't looking, land management is a State responsibility unless the area concerned has been declared and registered as World
Heritage eg
Daintree, Barrier Reef,
Franklin below
Gordon and some other that don't immediately come to mind.
You also seem surprised that the "environment" has been politicised! Shucks what isn't political? We as 4WDrivers just have to become more political and lobby our respective local members (regardless of their party allegiances) and let them know we are a forces with some political (there's that word again) clout. If we sit back watching the scenery in those magnificent parks and keep whining about things - the gates will be locked before we know about it.
I think the NSW aand ACT 4WD association are into the political game - from what I can gather they support the Outdoor
Recreation Party member in the NSW Upper House.
I'll get off my soapbox now - but I just think we, in the 4WD community, just want someone else to do all the work knowing full
well the there are forces out there who are actively seeking to close access to everyone. I say what good are National and State Parks if people can't see them.
Cheers
Pete
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Sunday, Oct 03, 2004 at 14:38
Sunday, Oct 03, 2004 at 14:38
Patrol22, perhaps it has escaped your attention over the last few months but in Victoria the government has been trying to use it's own instrumentalities to block 4by driver access to parks just one at a time.
Land management is being set up with scant interest being given our way but roads being blocked or "passive use" advantaged. Read walkers. Land management is being granted to green interest, beekeepers, indiginous community, walkers but after 1200 4by users turned up at
Daylesford for one of their meetings, one
seat on the management committee "may" be allowed to satisfy our interest.
This case in point is for the Wombat Forest which was the trial one. The government has stopped logging for sawmilling but allows clear felling in the
Otways for export woodchips. The
Otways will have a vaneer of forest remaining, pardon the pun. It appears more like rape to me there having travelled some of the less used roads.
Actually Victoria seem to be following NSW in their entertainment of 'community forest management'. I don't think your tilt at the "awfully long bow" is justified in the argument at at all. It has all spawned reaction you refer to above and to RUG in Victoria to defend rights. Yes, all spawned by the state Labor governments
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Follow Up By: Patrol22 (Queanbeyan - Sunday, Oct 03, 2004 at 18:03
Sunday, Oct 03, 2004 at 18:03
JohnR - this is exactly why I'm saying we (ie 4WDrivers around the country) need to become more political. If we don't we will simply fade into the background as inconsequential. Oh BTW I followed the Wombat thing as closely as I could from this distance and I think some of you Vics did a magnificent job - keep up the agitating the pollies will soon get the message if you are loud enough.
Cheers
Pete
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Reply By: Member - Bernie. (Vic) - Saturday, Oct 02, 2004 at 21:26
Saturday, Oct 02, 2004 at 21:26
Yes an interseting article Fourstall,
and I must say the Vic 4WD Association has shown what can be achieved if you put in the hard yards, and that starts with very capable leadership.
Cheers
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