Commercial 4wd company regulation ?

In non 4wd matters, yes I can regulate him. He doesn't like it, but has to live with it :))
He asks why, and I tell him because I can.
He once asked me if I had to work hard at being so naaastee.
He keeps suggesting that we meet on his turf.
I don't think so! LOL

Gee Steve, I can fly fare paying passengers in a commercial aircraft without all that !

If you tell me you can fly the plane after a few beers then I'm not going. LOL

Cheers Steve.

Hi again Steve, I am semi retired now but still keep my hand in.

House rules are 8 hrs bottle to throttle and thats fine with me.

Aaaaah yes, the Public Service. STILL the fastest growing sector in this country.

I'm a member of our regional Tourism Board and have it on very good authority that the current CTO arrangement with EPA is being changed to a CAA (Commercial Activity Arrangement). 1st cab off the rank is Fraser Island, this should make for an extremely interesting transition period.

I guess that the upside is that the RTBs have been involved in the new arrangement, not just pencil pushers in Brisbane

Unfortunately though, the RTBs are locally centric, and folks like me - and Dave too, for that matter, operate all over, if it is worth it.

I have neglected Queensland for just the reasons he mentioned.

It is really hard to get RTBs to take any interest in a niche operator who might do one tour in their region each year.

Dave... if you're not licensed with DEC in WA you might not have seen the recent review of Nature based tourism (another nice phrase they have introduced).

They had consultants write a report (no doubt telling them what they wanted to hear) but adding yet more bureacrasy for small operators. More hoops to jump through than Clarence the Clown.

I guess that the other thing with RTBs is that they are there for their members.

I'd probably be a bit annoyed if my RTB started promoting someone from out of the region, especially since I pay for the privelege of their representation.

The thing with these planned changes is that the CAA's should be a more open and clear understanding of what is involved in all commercial activities on Public Land (I did say "should")

cheers

Andrew,

We are licensed by DEC for WA, but I must have missed that. Though I may have just shrugged it off as more of the same

David

Dave

I see no difference between someone in the region and someone out of the region. Most of us run tours all over Australia, bringing money from out of state. We all pay for the representation.

David

What we need is a body that will reprsent us all! Trouble is, what's to stop someone like Kingfisher taking over the body - or - acting outside of it, because they do not need it.

Recreational users have the club system and association of clubs to offer them some form of representation (not neccesarily successful) but commercial Offroad operators (which are quite often 1 or 2 person family operations) have no peak body to represent their needs.

In QLD we have QORF (Qld Outdoor Recreation Federation), this organisation is growing in reputation after being hamstrung by politics and chest beating for a few years. How many offroad operators have even heard of QORF. My association with them goes back to my time (and continued involvement) with the OEAQ (Outdoor Educators Association QLD).

If you want improved access for the industry, step up and do something. I'm meeting the "Minister for Sustainability" in two weeks (when the appt is finally confirmed), I'm a member of my RTB, I take a keen interest in the goings on of QORF. I follow the minutes of the QAFWDC each month.

We can't expect things to improve in the short term, but we have to take a stand! Public land must remain public.

It is only through immersion and education IN the environment that future generations will have a respect FOR and do something ABOUT the environment.

I've stepped up often. I've worked very hard in North QLD to maintain and gain access to lands that have been closed. I've done it as an individual working in association with DNR and councils, and in partnership with other recreational users. QORF has been a lame duck with respect to this. I hear you saying thing are changing- great! I will be the first to be involved. North QLD has a huge amount of World Heritage Area and around Townsville the rest is military. If there are places where access is a real issue, NQ and FNQ are the places.

On the matter of QORF flexing its muscle. Here is an issue they may like to work on immediately, perhaps you can bring it up with the newly appointed minister as well.

Cook Shire Council have an ongoing battle with the owner of Palmerville Station re access to Maytown via Palmerville. I've long fought this battle and have yet to succeed.

Here is council's last email to me.

In regard to this road there is much history. Council has been arguing that it is an open road and has legal access even though it is a road-off-alignment. The station owner has recently advertised that anyone on the property will be charged with trespass and that it is now a closed road. Apparently he has the law on his side.

Council has exhausted all options to try and get some solution and we have been asking the State Gov't for assistance. This isn't comming in any great way unfortunately. If any body you know wants to travell this road, then please advise them that they may be charged with trespass. At the same time, it would be of great assistance if they write to Warren Pitt and Jason O'Brien and tell them about how terrible it is that this chap is abusing people and closing the road and getting away with it.

As a first and very minor step, I will be contacting the relevent State ministers, I will also set up an e-petition. If QORF would like to show how much things have changed, perhaps they would like to be involved as well.

Sadly, David, the first question that QORF will ask you is "Are you a member?"

So will the relevant RTB.

My RTB just got me access through EPA land that had previously been forbidden to me, and we are moving forward on others.

I'll happily forward your email onto QORF, they may have others in the same boat, you never know. QORF is far from being truly effective, but they are becoming much more so.

We are all on the same side here mate, we all want fair and equitable acess to public land!

I could only be an associate member as

"Ordinary membership is open to any not-for-profit organisation, collective, association or body, as defined by its Articles of Association, or a council, government department, statutory authority or statutory board that, at the sole discretion of the Management Committee, is considered to represent a significant or selective portion of the industry and is actively involved in the provision and/or management of outdoor recreation activities, facilities, services or training in Queensland. "

Happily the answer is, as of today I will be an associate member. Not arguing we're not on the same side, just yet to see anything other than restricted access come from any association or group involvment. QAFWDC is a classic case. The President wrote a letter to QPWS that to me was an embarressment to all 4wders everywhere, and was counter to their own Code of Ethics.

Cheers
David