SA
137 posts
Hey all
a few of us were down the beach arrround lunch today (Wed 14th) and a counciler come down and had a chat.
He explained that this week they have had fellow public members place several reports however they are only worried about the following 2 issues.
1. no teaching take place on their beach without a permit
2. No kite lines are placed across main walking areas. This includes along the waters edge and the path from the ramp to the waters edge.
How do we prevent this from becoming a bigger issue??
In my opinion
NO 1. Who ever was teaching knows who they are and should rething their location
No 2. All kiters should rig up either side of the walkway from the road and not across it. (this may mean walking 20m either side) and when landing your kite, pull your bar and lines up to the kite rather than leaving them across the beach.
We need to take this very seriously before another beach get banned
cheers
Jarrad
SA
59 posts
gd on ya Jarrad
u r right to act before this becomes an issue with the City of Charles Sturt. Be interested to know who u spoke to, compliance orifice or councillor?
If it gets banned the compliance team will be very difficult to deal with
cheers
p.s. Any one got an old kite bladder or pieces there of big repair needed, be much appreciated
QLD
103 posts
Sweet, will keep that in mind.
Be sure to politely remind your friendly kite friends you see down tharrr.
SA
34 posts
good work jarrad!
RDL i have lots of spare bladded sections etc..how many do you want?
974 posts
We need to put some guidelines for each beach up on a website and in all the shops so everyone is aware of how it should be - if henley was banned it would hurt us all and be near impossible to get back !!!!
SA
478 posts
I agree with you Geoff. I think we need a night to sit down and draw up some guidelines. I vote West Beach Sailing Club again.
974 posts
Jees... that sounds terrible. Cheap pints of the amber stuff and heart attack style schnitzels !!!
But seriously, we all just need to be pro active. Be respectful and thoughtful when setting up and launching or landing. Keep your kit tidy and out of the way. Kite within your limitations, be aware of swimmers and other beach users. It really is common sense, if you see someone causing a problem go and have a chat- chances are they just haven't thought about the consequences of their actions...
SA
137 posts
how about another beer and schnitty night again soon geoff??? can you get the surf club again
974 posts
The surf club is very supportive of us and will open for us as long as we have enough numbers.
QLD
9 posts
Hey G
I think it is good that the council came down to talk to kiters about the complaints .
And that kiters get together to draw up some guidelines
As a followup also maybe it would also be good if SAKSA contacted the council directly to show that the association is following up and pro-active about these issues.
After all SAKSA really is the window to local councils
5 posts
If everyone is in agreeance to the guidelines, you could consider further demonstrating the sectors commitment to safety by working with the council and putting some permanent signs up at Henley at the beach walkways with the guidelines so any non saksa members, interstate kiters or those without internet etc can see what the basics are.
I think you could get the key messages over quite simply once you've agreed on them.
Don't need to be big or expensive, and obviously would depend on available money but it would essentially be a public commitment by the sport to safety for all.
Coucil might even put some funding towards them.
SA
26 posts
I think it would show great support for the council also if we actually invited one or more of their members personally down to our meeting to not only watch us put some guidelines in place, but also possibly be involved. This would almost certainly shortcut the process of getting them to 'ok' the guidelines as they would actually have some input into them and we could make sure we got what we wanted and they were able to keep their beach as safe and enjoyable for other users as possible.
At the end of the day, a safe beach isn't just a nice place to visit, it's also a matter of economics... a "nice place to visit" is a place that will fetch more for housing etc. so that's going to be a large part of what any council will be making sure of. The more people enjoy visiting a place, the more people pay to live there and the more rates they can charge home owners. If that means getting rid of unsafe beach sports to ensure economic growth in the area, then that's what they'll do... of course I'm completely ignoring things like law suits and other legal implications.
Jords.
SA
3 posts
Good sugesstion unexpected - we did something similar in perth a few years ago, and cottesloe council did alot once they they got a proactive response. I can take a few photos of cottesloe & brighton beaches in perth cos I will be there tomorrow morning - back in adelaide tomorrow night.
Geoff, we should get together ASAP to put together a response including a guide for kiters and an approach to the council.
974 posts
This issue has popped up a little sooner than expected, could anyone who has any constructive ideas please get in contact with a SAKSA representative as we will be having a meeting early next week to get some solutions in motion.
SA
137 posts
guys, i believe one of the councilors who lives on the esplanarde is cureently undertaking kite boarding lessons, if this is correct, perhaps his instuctor(who ever it is) can approach him to joining in the saksa meetings
SA
80 posts
i think he is doing it with guy maybe
SA
311 posts
Just remember boys its the stepping out of the comfort zone that does the most for us protecting our beaches. It is easy to let things go on around you and not speak up. When people are clearly doing the wrong thing step out of the comfort zone and diplomatically tell them, if they don't listen then sometimes they need to be told.
Unsafe kiting is not tollerated.
keep up the good work
Daz
SA
65 posts
ahhh, the vocal minority.
now that i'm getting older, i realise what it's all about.
free time - with nothing better to do.
with that said, i saw some dog owners and their dogs at the beach today.
so i'm gonna go and lobby to have dog owners removed from the beach.
i'm sure the dogs will behave themselves.
the only thing stopping me is my repulsion of paper work and bureaucracies
nothing like an agenda
oh, i might stop young teens from pashing in the water too.
purely out of spite
SA
92 posts
I'm teaching an older gent by the name of Merv Allen and didn't know he was a councillor. I'll have a chat next time he does a lesson with me and let you know what the outcome is.
SA
59 posts
hey nutty hes no Councillor but is a member of the Coastal Reference Group, which would be the forum to put some sort of representation to, might c u down there later today
SA
26 posts
Just thought, boys and girls... although I'm not a SAKSA committee member (I am a member of SAKSA though), if you need an extra voice to help at the meeting, if I'm not too late, let me know.
Not to blow my own trumpet (hey, there's currently no one else blowing it... I'm single! Haha), but I'm a sales manager (SA/NT) by profession for a very reputable company... mediation and sales are obviously something I can do well. If you need someone to explain things to a councillor (ie sit next to them at the meeting) to make sure they understand exactly what they're there for and why certain things are dangerous, and also why certain things, although they may appear dangerous, are completely safe (ie, kiting close to people, but being down wind of them for instance, gives the impression someone may get hit... just an example, probably not a great one though?), I'd be happy to do so.
All in all, if we can get something happening with Henley Beach's council, maybe over time we can use it for a precedent to get kiters allowed back on Semaphore's beaches. Currently the windsurfers have all the fun and we can't technically step on the sand north of bower road. This is fine if you know what you're doing, but how many learners, or generally new kiters are good enough and confident enough to stay up wind and never touch land north of Bower road in a southerly. I'm a local at Sema4 so this whole issue is something close to home (literally). That means all you pro's can get your heads together and nut out the finer points, and I can worry about selling it to the councillor who's present.
Cheers,
Jords.
