International
Affiliate's Conference
The
Chairman and the National Secretary of the Surfrider Foundation
of Australia are in the U.S.A. to attend the International
Affilliates Conference in San Clemente, California,
on the 25/8/99-28/8/99. They will be representing the members
of Australia and be reporting to the Board over there on current
issues in Australia.
They
are paying for the trip themselves as dedicated members of
the organisation. They hope to achieve a cross pollination
of ideas and improve the communications and the relationship
with the countries of the world represented (France, Japan
Aust, US.A.) and of course have a holiday.
Brazil
The
national secretary Greg Howell will be also visiting EX-gold
coaster Guilherme Araujo in Brazil, who is
currently the founding Executive Director of Surfrider Foundation-Brazil.
Guil was a founding member of the Gold Coast Branch committee.
He has recently moved back to Brazil and is putting the skills
that he learnt on the Gold Coast to good use in Brazil. We
wish him the best of luck.
Music
For Mother Ocean 3
The
Music For Mother Ocean 3
cd has it's Australian launch on 30/8/99 keep your eye on
it in your record stores in September.
Administration
Handbook
The
National Office is currently compiling an Administration
Handbook. It will contain advice on a list of what
to do and what not to do for members, Branches and Board members
alike. Included will be many things such as a Policy and Procedures
Manual and a Strategic Plan which will set goals for the future
of Surfrider Foundation Australia. It is designed to be a
flexible document that will change with the times and will
contain mostly all of the matters that Surfrider Australia
will deal with.
Coastcare
Projects
Coastcare
projects
up and running on the Gold Coast include the Currumbin Blue
Water Task Force. This will be a Water Quality and Litter
Survey complete with on ground weeding and planting in a regeneration
manner. Also the continuation of the Respect the Beach education
program for schools is under way.
The Gold Coast Branch will be applying for funding for a Coastcare
grant to continue with the Respect the each Surfing circuit
to compliment the highly successful contest circuit already
held in the Coffs Harbour area (mid north coast) Before any
funding, the Surfrider Foundation intends to hold another
one off Respect The Beach contest on the Gold Coast before
the year is over.
Another Coastcare Project is the Cylinder Headland Erosion
Control and Walkways project on North Stradbroke Island. It
has finished well ahead of schedule mainly due to the large
number of volunteers and a Community Gaming Machine Grant.
It is part of the continuing work of the Point Lookout Surfriders
Club, Carried out over the last few decades.
Over 2000 plants and a single loop track have been installed,
complete with a boardwalk, viewing platforms and steps. Dadee
Taylor of the Point Lookout Surfriders club said "The
loop track has successfully replaced the multitude of random
tracks and allowed many trampled areas to revegetate naturally."
Other groups involved include Redland Shire Council, SIMO,
Point Lookout residents, Dunwich secondary department, FOSI,
Butcher, and The S.L.S.C. Stay tuned for details on the Deadman's
Beach Project currently under way.!! The Boardriders club
look with caution as to how the artificial reef at Narrowneck
will effect them.
Tweed
Coast Branch
The
Tweed Coast Branchof the Surfrider Foundation has recommenced
activities and held their first meeting at Kingscliff S.L.S.C.
on 25/8/99.
Fundraising
night
A
Fundraising night followed at Surfrider House
(National Office) in Currumbin on 27/9/99. It was in the form
of a Surfjam where many musicians took to the stage, and performed
various styles of music for the Surfrider Foundation. Local
National Director Mr Stuart Ball said "After an initial
musos Jam in May, we were inundated with calls from all sorts
of people asking us to hold another event...so we did."
Sean
Fanning and Joel Green Memorial Surf Contest
At
the recent Sean Fanning and Joel Green Memorial Surf Contest,
the local rep from the Tweed coast joined with Twin Towns
Coastcare to plant trees on the top of Point Danger at D-bah,
the venue for the contest.
Coffs
Harbour's proposed sewage outfall
The
award winning Coffs Harbour Branch is involved
in fighting a proposed sewage outfall in the Solitary Islands
Marine Park-This has involved meetings, workshops, marketing,
media campaign and an email campaign.
The Coffs Harbour Branch has recently been successful in increasing
their membership by 60 new members. (At the recent annual
general meeting of Surfrider Foundation Australia, in Newcastle,
on March 29th & 30th, it was decided that membership and
lack of reporting of our achievements were the main administrative
matters that required improvement)
The Respect the Beach educational and surfing contest has
been growing from strength to strength. and is provided by
the Coffs Harbour Branch.
The Coffs Branch will be working with the Southern Cross University
to provide a C.D.ROM This will provide a Multi Media Educational
tool, to use in association with THE HUMAN IMPACT ON BEACHES
REPORT, that was compiled and written by Director of the Board
Mr Michael Legge-Wilkinson.
Project
Aware On The Rocks
Training programs have been provided
by COASTCARE on "Project Aware On The Rocks". This education program about the intertidal zone's continued
destruction will be held in Gosford, Sutherland, and Randwick. Oil
Spills
We
have had 2 major oil spills. One in Sydney
Harbour that was well publicised in the media and the other
was 270,00 litres spilled by the Mobil plant in Pt. Stanvac
S.A.
Forming
Your Own Branch
We
are looking into all local council regions that do not have
a branch in their area. We are hoping to hear from members
of the public who don't have a local branch, we want
to hear from them with a view to forming their own branch
in their area. Be a part of history in your town and start
up a branch today.
Hold
On To Your Butt
At the National Conference in March it was
decided that the new environmental initiative or the year
would be the "HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTT"
Campaign. This is an educational and awareness campaign designed
to remind the public that the only place for cigarette butts
is the garbage dump. The time it takes for Cigarette butts
to break down can allow for that butt to do immense damage.
There is leaching of chemicals in the butt and of course there
is damage that butts can do to the ocean environment and the
plants and animals in that environment. Obviously, to divert
butts from going into the ocean and into the garbage dump
instead, is a good thing...So smokers..."HANG ON TO YOUR
BUTT", and if you do see someone flicking a cigarette
anywhere except the garbage tell them to "HANG ON TO
YOUR BUTT". Melbourne Branch, for 'hold onto your butt
day', are in the process of constructing twenty (20) 6 foot
cigarettes and planting them in St Kilda beach for a Photo
shoot. Making the beach look like an ashtray with giant cigarettes
coming out of it.
McDonalds
out of Torquay
The
Surf Coast Branch in Victoria are continuing their fight to
keep McDonalds out of Torquay. McDonald's
want to build a restaurant in Torquay opposite Surf City.
They have been attending tribunal hearings, planted 286 "macca's
Gravestones" and are preparing to face Macca's expert
witnesses. It is believed that Macca's have spent in excess
of $250,000 on 2 Queens Councillors and 6 Expert Witnesses.
Surfrider have been helped by many people including Steve
Perry from Oakley Sunglasses Nat Young and Mark Occhilupo.
Local members of Surf Coast Branch, Meagan McAlpine, Darren
Nouse-Brown, Damien Goss and John Foss have been working with
local surf community, industry and business. The Surf Coast
Branch opposes the development due to increased litter on
local beaches and the negative impact of a McDonald's store
on local surf culture.
Indigenous
Coastal Workshops
Indigenous
Coastal Workshops
- members of Surf Coast Branch have helped organise Indigenous
coastal workshops at Jan Juc and Port Fairy. Aboriginal Cultural
Heritage Officers led discussions and field trips into impacts
of development on beaches and coastal areas.
There has been strong turn-out at both workshops and good
networking between environmental groups and local Indigenous
communities. The Surf Coast Branch are involved also in a
continued fight to protect Bell's Beach.
The Surfing reserve is about to be taken over by the Department
of Natural Resources and Local Council. Surfrider Foundation
sees this as a watering down of surfer's opportunity to control
the first surfing Reserve in Australia that Surfers fought
so hard for.
SURF COAST BRANCH have just released their latest branch t-shirt
with Surfrider Foundation logo in shape of a Bell (for Bells
Beach). Limited edition in blue on white and blue on grey.
For orders contact Meagan McAlpine - 0419 301 021.
Not
So Clean Water Classic
NOT
SO CLEAN WATER CLASSIC
- Surf Coast Branch will be running 3rd 'Not So Clean Water
Classic' on Surf Coast on Ocean Care Day. Contact JOHN FOSS
on 018 386 812 for details.
Stuart
Ball
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