The last scheduled event before the DAVO weekend is the AGM+ SurfFilm night this Saturday 2nd Jan at the Bowls Club, 7 for 7.30pm start. The bar will be open and we'll probably have snags in bread on the go.
All committee positions will be made vacant so we are looking for people who are interested in helping run the club to put their hand up.Nominations can be emailed to this address or given on the night.
If we want to continue with the current annual format - 8 comps which includes the Davo weekend, plus Presentation Night we need more people to help out. In fact its the jobs that are done by people not on the committee that can be a huge help - eg Cohey looking after the trailer and the gear, Peta doing all the tallying, Dean Mitchell doing the Comp Directing. If you dont want to go on the committee but are interested in helping out regularly please let us know.

cheers
Ross, for
Mitch
Shayleigh
Ken
Jake

Boardriders Presentation 2008

Coastalwatch Camera Issue 

To the members of the Point Lonsdale Board riders Club

Howdy All,

As you would all be aware there has been some ongoing issues with regards the Coastalwatch camera housed in the Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Clubs facility at the Back Beach. Major concerns for our club have been the initial lack of consultation in siting of the camera, privacy issues arising because of the orientation of the camera, increased crowds due to the exposure of the best waves in town on any given day and similar problems arising because of the written report posted on the Coastalwatch web site on a daily basis. Obviously both the Clubbies and the Coastalwatch crew have concerns regarding the ongoing obstruction of the camera and potential damage to the Surf Club facility by members of the local board riding community.

On the eighteenth of July both Rowey and myself took part in a meeting between the Coastalwatch crew represented by Business Development Manager Chris Tola, Camera Engineer Noel Norton, local maintenance tech Chris and the Clubbies represented by Secretary Mathew Ponsford. The idea behind the meeting was to hopefully thrash out an understanding before things get out of hand

We understand fully that the majority of club members want no specific surf camera in Point Lonsdale apart from the Port of Melbourne Corporation cameras mounted on top of the Lighthouse and we made this very clear to those in attendance. It was agreed that as we are the primary beach user for the area in question it would have been appropriate for us to be consulted before the installation of the camera. Coastalwatch apologized and the Clubbies agreed that they had “stuffed up” in the initial stages of the installation.

However this is small consolation to us now as you cant put the toothpaste back in the tube.

It became apparent during the discussion and was subsequently made clear, that the camera rightly or wrongly is a permanent fixture for a number of reasons. Obviously the Clubbies receive some financial remuneration for hosting the camera. At around five hundred dollars per annum this seemed rather inconsiderable (as a matter of fact Rowey and I flashed on the idea of paying them six hundred to take it down). However, it seems that a considerable amount of the Clubbies communication gear is tied into the Coastalwatch system, including their Broadband Internet access. It was also made clear that the whole system is now linked to the State Emergency Service and Surf Life Saving Victoria which given the proximity of Port Phillip Heads, considers this to be a vital link.

Given the above we brokered a deal that would give the best possible result for our members, enable the Clubbies to do their thing and yet still express our dismay and regret that events had been allowed to go thus far unchecked.

To address the privacy issue Coastalwatch has agreed that the camera will now no longer focus on the deck area or the surf zone directly in front of the deck area at all. The small secondary “spy camera” will also be removed. This means that normal use of the deck area will now be completely clear of camera access.

In order to alleviate the perception that the camera focuses on, and publicizes the best surf breaks on any given day, Coastalwatch has agreed to point the camera directly at Ocean Grove and take two differing distance shots of shore breaks and one possible long shot of the Pig Farm area with the Bluff in the background. Before Sladey, Dave, Greeny and Jocka come looking for a piece of us, let me please stress that Coastal watch has assured us that they are only interested in footage of the shore break ie literally where the white water hits the sand. Thus Sunset, or Old Boys, as someone unkindly named it, should be safe. In fact Coastalwatch has asked Rowey to collaborate with them on the orientation of the camera. As a sign of good will we also suggested that during peak summer season the camera should be focused on the escalator and the escalator only given the potential lethal nature of this particular stretch of water.

Coastalwatch cameras will need to scan across the beach in order to monitor beach use, but in consultation with Clubbies and Coastalwatch we should be able to accommodate our needs.

As to the issue of the daily surf reports on the Coastalwatch web site, we have had an undertaking that Point Lonsdale will not be mentioned until the end of the year, and we’ll discuss future mentions if any after then. This means that while Ocean Grove and Thirteenth will still be front and center on the generic report for this end of the coast, we should again slip under the radar.

Well ladies and gentleman that’s where we are at the present time. Let me conclude by reinforcing that as a board club we have not and can not sanction the acts of civil disobedience (vandalism) that have taken place. However as individuals it is now up to you to decide whether you believe we have obtained a satisfactory outcome for your selves and you must act accordingly. There is no doubt that we have been toasted in the early stages of this process and it will take some time and effort for the Clubbies to rebuild some of the trust and good relations we have enjoyed in the past.

If you still have concerns feel free to contact Rowey or myself and we can put you in direct contact with Chris Tola of Coastalwatch (chris.tola@coastalwatch.com). For what its worth I reckon we need to put this to bed and concentrate on the serious business of catching some waves.

CHEERS for now

Sparx (Graeme Briggs)