Thread: Stockton Beach Access Protest 2nd Feb

I thought it might be appropriate here to give you a run-down of what benefits accrue to the club members who are affiliated with Four Wheel Drive NSW & ACT Inc (the Association).


Benefits of Association Membership 2012-13

Association membership provides the following benefits to member clubs and their members:
1. Representation & Recognition
Recognition of 4WD NSW & ACT as the peak user group representing organised 4WD clubs to:
National, State and Industry Organisations

Representation to legislators against changes to regulations many of which are dealt with at state and national levels in conjunction with industry bodies and other concerned groups, without troubling members. These include:
 Vehicle modifications standards and processes (VSI50, VSB14, VSB09)
 Australian Design Rules (ADRs)
 Australian National Safety Organisations
 changes to UHF radios and EPIRBS
To achieve this the Association works with the following organisations:
 Four Wheel Drive Australia (4WD Australia) and each state 4WD Association
 Australian Confederation of Motor Clubs (ACMC) membership
 Australian 4WD Industry Council
 Australian Aftermarket Accessories Association (including ARB, ECB, TJM etc)
 NSW Department of Roads and Maritime Services
 Australian Qualifications Framework
 Australian Skills Quality Authority and many more

Land Managers and Owners
Representation to land managers to maintain access rights for you
 as far afield as the Canning Stock Route as evidenced by the permit system
 MOU with NPWS and Forests NSW and Lands NSW documenting our right to access
 National track classification scheme ( to guide the use and maintenance of tracks)
 membership of regional advisory committees of land management agencies
 consultation on Draft Plans of Management
 4WD Consultative Group comprising 4WD NSW & ACT and NSW Government bodies
o Environment, Climate Change & Water
o National Parks & Wildlife Service
o Forests NSW
o Land & Property Management Authority
 Traditional land owners

2. Insurance

2.a Club level
Incorporated clubs must have insurance to cover:
 Public Liability risk
 Special Event & Voluntary Workers insurance
 Executive officer indemnity
Non-member clubs are ineligible to receive the coverage offered under our arrangement with the Australian National Four Wheel Drive Council Insurance Scheme. This insurance is specifically tailored to meet the needs of 4WD clubs and offered at a substantially discounted rate compared with other public liability type insurances available commercially. The per capita cost to member clubs for $20M is just $8.00 compared to $14 - $20 if not affiliated.

2.b Individual level
Access to member specific coverage anywhere anytime even on unformed trails through 5 specialised insurance covers to meet member needs with discounts for multiple policies.
 4WD Motor, and Camping Equipment.
 Camper Trailer
 Home and Contents covers being:
 Accidental Damage and Listed Events
 2WD Motor, Caravan, Holiday Home & Boat
The coverage under this scheme is
 the best and most comprehensive off-road coverage
 covered anywhere anytime
 you speak to a person experienced in 4WDing not an office clerk
 Members must identify themselves as financial club members to gain the discount premiums
 Membership is checked.
Clubs receive a small commission paid quarterly on any insurance policies taken out by their members.

3. Member Training (MTEC and DTU)
As an RTO the Association works to train all members of clubs in vehicle handling and safety. Driver training is a major component of this and can be delivered to nationally accredited standards. The Driver Training Unit (DTU) is staffed by competent and accredited Trainers and Assessors (Certificate IV in Training & Assessment costs $4000 subsidised by the Association) who volunteer their time to educate and support member clubs. The Members Training and Education Committee (MTEC) also offers discounted or subsidised training in first aid, chain saw use, track classification whenever possible.
Member clubs have access to the Eastern Creek Training Centre (increasingly valuable as it is developed).

4. Membership Stickers
On payment of affiliation fees clubs will be provided with the following:
 two large Association emblems to place on their club banners to show affiliation
 an electronic copy of the Association emblem to be placed on the club website
 an Association windscreen sticker for each member. This is renewed annually.

5. Access to NSW State Forests
Under the MOU with NSW Forests access fees are paid by the Association annually to NSW Forests. This cost is covered as part of club affiliation fees. Without this club trips would need to meet the cost of $100 trip registration fee plus $4.00 per person participating.

6. Website and Forum
This is provided to members of all affiliated clubs so that they can access Association documents concerning them and their clubs and to facilitate the exchange of news and ideas:
Member clubs are offered the opportunity to have their sites co-hosted to save costs.

7. Four wheel Drive and Adventure show (Sydney 4WD and Adventure Show -)
The Association runs its own four wheel drive show especially for member clubs to promote our family friendly, environmentally sensitive activities to the wider community. Member clubs are entitled to a show space at no charge to promote themselves.

8. Membership Discount Card
The discount card is a joint venture with Four Wheel Drive Australia and all states and territories and will be released in a staged roll-out commencing in Victoria in the first half of the 2012-13 financial year. The card will:
 offer substantial discounts to members from a range of businesses across Australia
 be issued to all financial members of financial clubs
 be issued annually at the time of affiliation renewal and valid for the financial year in which it is issued
 carry the club and state logos and the name of the card holder


This should give you an idea of what the Association really is doing.

Bob

I was out there after the worst of the storms last year and it wasnt that bad, there was a lot of erosion at the high tide mark but the thing about stockton is most drive in the dunes not on the tide mark. I think it was worse a few years ago when we had the floods and pasha bulka run ashore, there was no restricted access then and it recovered fine.

I would be interested in seeing the these aerial photos, i would imagine they show erosion at the shore line, which is something that is constantly changing as well even down my end of the beach that is protected by the break wall, i wouldn't take this as a good way to judge damage to a beach thats over kilometer from shore to bush wide in some areas.

As mentioned before, the amount of sand leaving the beach by sand mining is doing a lot of damage but we dont see NPWS or the Worimi lands people jumping up and down about that do we. As for the comment about the break walls having an effect on the movement of sand up the coast, i highly doubt this is a huge problem, take a look at the amount on sand at nobbys compared to what actually finds its way to Stockton, if all the sand stayed at nobbys the beach would be HUGE.

Nobbys v stockton, obviously not an issue with sand movement - can you even spot nobbys here!
[ame=http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=stockton+beach+nsw&hl=en&ll=-32.885354,152.008896&spn=0.375378,0.837021&sll=-32.860556,151.997223&sspn=0.375483,0.837021&t=h&hn ear=Stockton+Beach&z=11]stockton beach nsw - Google Maps[/ame]

Originally Posted by cal415

Nobbys v stockton, obviously not an issue with sand movement - can you even spot nobbys here!
stockton beach nsw - Google Maps

Thanks for the link, really can't see Nobbys gobbling up all the northbound sand.

Bob

Just read on the 4wdA forum that they blockaded the airport by blocking the access road causing quite a few people to miss their flights - nothing like getting the public on your side.

As expected it seems that this "protest" has already backfired - these need to be better thought out.

Garry

Originally Posted by garrycol

Just read on the 4wdA forum that they blockaded the airport by blocking the access road causing quite a few people to miss their flights - nothing like getting the public on your side.

As expected it seems that this "protest" has already backfired - these need to be better thought out.

Garry

Seems very weird ... Wasnt blocked while many of us went thru considering the airport is over 10Ks from the place in the opposite direction dual carriageway, where was blocked was any NON residents moving onto the Stockton peninsula at the bridge turn off this was soley the POLICE doing!(and a wise move) for safety reasons and then the remainder of vehicles diverted to Kooragang island truck area.
The only traffic chaos we see is the line to get into Maccas at Lavis lane for a coffee each morning.

Traffic was slow leaving Stockton but only the left lane as normal traffic was able to move in the right.

What was the sort of frightening thing was pulled up on the top of the bridge and looking to my left seeing the expansion joint on the bridge exposing alot of fresh paint when the remainder of the bridge being a more faded colour... due to a little bit of weight on it. Being the conscientious person I didnt use my phone to take a pic but I am sure someone did.

The weather was/is shocking but as far as I could see obeyed the numerous police that were about, with 1 vehicle over the radio being pulled over for either running a light/ probable obvious defect.

O-D and family, Lokka and myself were with Roothy for a short time before he went to the Island and addressed everyone over the radio.This was interfered with by a resident radio troll in the area but we got most of it.

Not sure if Goldy was there but saw numerous LR.

The point was made that people from all over the state are worried about track closures just by turning up, it is all over the news here and radio. Maybe someone will listen and lessen our worries, as no one else is.

People travelled from from as far afield as Tamworth and Woolongong for this and many interstate people have put support as well with comments on FB pages.

I turned off at Beresfield as word over radio was that the showground was full before I had even got to Hexham.

We can only wait and see if this has done any good, it couldn't of done much harm apart from minor inconvienience to other road users or we would have been swooped on by the police

Will post up what pics I do have when I find the cable for my phone.

Dazza

PS I got a Roothy flag and Sticker and they ran out after 2000 of them, estimate vehicles 3 to 5K

Daz

Just went for a short drive about the town, or rather a particular section of the streetscape, the showground area on Mt View road has a large number of 4WD's of all makes etc, not sure of the numbers but an awful lot.
I didn't want to get caught up in the traffic snarls that happen around here when ever something is on, I snapped this shot from Chidgey St looking across at the showground, doesn't look like many there, but the place is hardly moving from the traffic
http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/u...psb10488cf.jpg
thats just a small portion of it, every side street was full on both sides of the road, as for ??blockading?? the road to the airport in Newcastle, well you have to expect that, as traffic management most likely directed them to take that route out of Newcastle to Cessnock.
I didn't join in, I've done all the protesting I'm going to do, leave it to the younger generation cheers Dennis

They blocked 4wds from entering stockton fairly early this morning unless they were locals, i left just after the convoy headed off, i ended up going past the lead truck and pulling up at the round about at the end of the f3 in the rest area as Roothys truck went by, i sat and watched for about an hour as trucks rolled through one after the other, then heard from my brother and mate who were still at Stockton Bridge at the other end of the convoy!

As for blocking the airport, i highly doubt that was the case, its the wrong direction everyone was headed out from kooragang and stockton heading away from the airport. There may have been a hold up for people headed this direction but traffic was flowing fine in the other direction.