My only point is, that if you ask a council permission to do something, then they have to employ people to do the legals or paperwork to make it legal, so they don't get sued because they knew about it because you told them you were going to do it.

Insurance Companies will insure anyone regardless of paper permit promises providing that you have some serious equity, and council permission has nothing to do with insurance unless the insurance company has requested such a clause.

Councils don't care unless they are forced by their superiors or the media forces their superiors to do any extra paperwork.


Some kitey instructy types should learn to stay under the radar to make coin without funding gov depts.

My2c.

the skipper said...

My only point is, that if you ask a council permission to do something, then they have to employ people to do the legals or paperwork to make it legal, so they don't get sued because they knew about it because you told them you were going to do it.

Insurance Companies will insure anyone regardless of paper permit promises providing that you have some serious equity, and council permission has nothing to do with insurance unless the insurance company has requested such a clause.

Councils don't care unless they are forced by their superiors or the media forces their superiors to do any extra paperwork.


Some kitey instructy types should learn to stay under the radar to make coin without funding gov depts.

My2c.

There's a lot more to it than that. Staying under the radar is virtually impossible when you have a 12m kite attached to 25m lines.

Bad advice for the future of our sport.

Guys,

This is a pretty serious topic and so long as all goes well, there really is no problem. It's what happens if things do go wrong that makes it a mess for all but the perpetrator.

Lets say Joe is a good kiter and decides to do a couple of lessons to put a case of beer in his fridge and some spare change in his pocket for Saturday night. He has no formal teaching background and uses his own kite and board for lessons.

The student has no life jacket, no helmet and finds he is being taught by someone who doesn't really know what or how to teach, so Joe teaches the student how to get up and ride which is essentially pretty easy.

In the second hour of the lesson, Joes student is learning water start and crashes the kite down on an elderly lady who walks her dog along the waters edge across from her house. She is knocked over and fractures her hip in several places and is left in a wheel chair with constant pain for the next few years. She lives on a pension and medical costs are above her ability to cover, so she sues the council.

The council contacts their insurer who assigns an investigator to get to the bottom of this problem. Source of the problem is found to be Joe who conveniently disappears.

Council then puts a stop to kiteboarding on their beaches as a kneejerk reaction to the public outcry for action as the old lady is pictured in hospital and her story is all over the front page of the local rag. Council now believe kiteboarding is too risky for their busy public beach and decide on an immediate ban pending the outcome of the situation. The legitimate school further up the beach has some serious work to do to try and retain access or their license is revoked (usually whichever is easier for council).

Meanwhile, Joe moves to another beach to create havoc elsewhere so he can get his free beer and spare change. His students go on to kite and as soon as their faced with a problem like wind swinging offshore, they end up in trouble because they don't know how to deal with the problem. This involves water police being called or SLSC being asked to intervene. A mark is made in the daily log of the rescue organisation. Hmmmm ..... 3rd rescue of a kiter this week!?!?! We really need to speak to someone about this problem says the captain .......

This story is based on real life events. There was a lady who was hit by a kite, she did end up in a wheel chair and needed full time carers. There was a law suit. We see students from othe "schools" come to our beach and we also see the same students drifting along out to sea by a kite they don't know how to relaunch or self rescue on.

This sport has been going for 10 years and it's time that the industry tightened up and stopped the cowboy instructors/schools for the benefit of every kiter that learns the sport now and in the future. Shops and schools need to take ownership and responsibility of this issue, Riders need to also accept some responsibility to maintain access, as the Mullaloo riders now do. This is everyone's problem, hiding your head in the sand won't make it better.

Is risking losing access to beaches around the country really worth that case of beer and a hundred bucks? Would you happily return the beer and spare coin if only to have access to that great beach once again?

DM

One simple solution, nobody should ever be able to benefit financially from suing a council.

They can however sue if they believe that it is obvious disregard for their safety that caused the injury but all proceeds from a succesful court case would be automatically distributed to charitable associations.

The result would be no more dodgy claims by loosers, all charities cashed up and capable to actually provide assistance to the needy and the ones who got truly affected by an inccident.

PI insurance would be probably a quarter of the price, council licences would be easily granted creating a florishing tourism with a multitude of cheap activities available for all at low cost and creating massive employment.

Who would loose????? the lawyers who can't chase ambulances anymore as 98% of plaintifs would not proceed if there was no financial gains

You may say, I'm a dreamer but I am not the only one!!!!

the skipper said...

Fair call on visibility, but Government workers don't go looking for work unless they get complaints.

And people who genuinely worry about the future of a sport make cash out of it.

Everyone else just does it as a fickle pursuit!

Here's news for you Skip....

Council rangers are paid to go looking for unlicenced and uninsured operators.

They do impose fines and some of them enjoy doing so :D

Then when councils hold their regular safety committee meetings, these cowboys are grouped in with legitimate operators, thereby risking the businesses of honest people.

Gold Coast, Sunny Coast etc

See who's still surviving after 5 years.

Cowboys have been moved on....AKS is still there :)

Good to see you back Dave

richg said...

Dear All

The BKSA have been talking with AKSA - we ( the pommies ) are more than willing to help you guys out .

Andy Gratwick - BKSA head of Training is coming to Oz in Jan

Please email him if you want to hook up [email protected]

All the best

Richard Gowers
Chairman BKSA
Chairman IKA

Thanks Rich,

Look forward to connecting with Andy when he's here in January.
Rob Smallwood
NSWKBA Committee
[email protected]

a new thread maybe? this one's a train wreck!