Summer 2010
Since the last newsletter nothing much has changed at Walkerville with regard to communications between ourselves and the foreshore committee [WFCM] who are responsible for most of the things that affect our experience at Walkerville.

To their credit the WFCM have completed the playground upgrade in the camping ground, the public toilets at both “north and south “are in good order and well kept, the fire systems have been upgraded with dedicated fire tanks provided above the camping ground and at the hall. The carpark marshals did a great job in managing the traffic at Walkerville South for couple of weeks after new year.

Generally speaking a very happy time was had by most families over the holiday period with very good weather and average fishing.

For the latest WPA Newsletter: Click here to download


Current Activities
Although there hasn’t been much in the way of communication with the membership over the last 12 months there has nevertheless been a significant amount of letter writing to the DSE etc. regarding issues of representation and accountability. The end result of these letters [copies can be read on website letters] is virtually zero. The DSE and the WFCM continue to ignore anything we say and have proved to be accountable to nobody, they send irrelevant generic replies to our letters, suggest meetings which never take place and generally treat the WPA with the same contempt as they do the Boat Club and probably anyone else who corresponds with them.they are either incredibly clever or incredibly stupid to behave the way they do in this day and age of accountability, transparency and process… only time will tell.

As the DSE appoint the WFCM and it is the foreshore activities we are primarily concerned with, then we have hit the proverbial “BRICK WALL”. The DSE don’t give a damn about what we or anyone else outside their organisation says. They will continue to appoint their local landholder friends to administer their unwritten policy of “do nothing”, or as close to this objective as you can, lest people start enjoying themselves too much at Walkerville and overwhelming the place.


Where to from here?
Our ”statement of purpose” says we were set up to provide a forum for all users of Walkerville/promote modest improvement of amenities/promote transparency of process/reject inappropriate and insensitive development/reject inappropriate restrictions/hold responsible authorities to account/hold general meetings, and provide regular newsletters.

None of the objectives have changed and we do most of the things we set out to do, unfortunately we have most of our eggs in one basket. ”the DSE” who are not interested in anything we have to say. Where we haven’t complied over the last 12 months is in communicating with our membership via newsletters and holding enough meetings, the primary reason for this shortcoming is that we aren’t getting anywhere, sending out continuous newsletters saying we are getting no response seemed like a time wasting exercise.

At this point in time we need to rethink who and what we are. ”YES” we are a forum for all users of Walkerville, but we are “NOT here“ to initiate projects or physically involve ourselves in the implementation of these projects, as our membership is “broadly based’ and not local and we don’t have the financial resources, our job is to promote and encourage positive improvements that the users want.

Our “rules of association” need to reflect who we are. It is not practical to hold several general meetings a year and post regular newsletters. This is an “electronic age” and the best for the WPA to communicate with its members is in an “electronic forum”. Our current website is a “one way” instrument and we need to make it a two way instrument to better reflect a broader opinion on issues that are important to all sorts of people.

To this end the WPA website should become the focus of our activities by redesigning the website to incorporate feedback activity. In other words a “WPA BLOGSITE” where anyone can post their comments [provided they are not libellious or offensive] thus providing an electronic forum on various

Membership
The criteria for achieving positive outcomes in line with our objectives will not be measured by the number of members we have who are spread over a wide geographic area, but rather by the volume of inputs and comments of those who are interested in our objectives, the WPA therefore will have both MEMBERS and SUPPORTERS in the new model thereby encouraging debate without necessarily placing the burden of membership on people.

Both Greenpeace Australia and the Wilderness Society have very small memberships and wide “supporter bases” from which they generate community support .We need to recognise that there will be many people who do not wish to be members of our association but nevertheless have valid opinions about what’s good for Walkerville. We must therefore encourage the use of our electronic forum with the invitation of membership to these users but not a condition of use.

The cost of running an electronic organisation is small and requirement for membership fees is nominal and more of a voluntary contribution.

Become a WPA member: Click here to download the membership form

AGM - proposed changes to rules of association
At the AGM it is proposed that the following changes be made to the “RULES’ as to the number of meetings and newsletters ,and the manner in which notice is given as a result of the introduction of our interactive website.

^ Back to Top