In this report

Achievements this year.

On going projects/concerns.

General comments.

Membership.

  

 Achievements

Green Corps. Project.

Amongst many small victories the outstanding achievement this year was the Green Corps Project.  This project was organised and overseen by David Dawson with initial help in formulating the plan and the application by from Carolyn Ferguson and others. It was a $40,000.00 project allowing an initial ten young people six months work and the opportunity to gain a Cert 1. In Conservation and Land Management.  The group planted 12,000 trees, worked on landscaping, on track maintenance in gardens and on animal shelters amongst other activities.  Although the project was inicated by RCFG, the group worked on projects at Noojee, Neerim East, Neerim South, Jindivick, Tattooer Road, Rawson, Warragul, Mount Worth and the Rokeby Crossover area. 

If the time of the RCFG members, mostly David Dawson was priced in to the value of the project, one could easily double the value. Well done all those involved. 

The only sour note in the whole project was the failure of Baw Baw shire to come up with the assistance we thought that they had offered earlier in the planning of this project.

 

 Unloading area on Latrobe River Road.

As part of the Victorian Government Trail Bike Initiative, an extensive unloading area has been established on Latrobe River Road.  The credit for this particular project goes to DSE land manager Paul Pearson. RCFG has been an active member of the Trail Bike Initiative from its inception and it must be said that this project would not have been

completed had it not been for the input, lobbying, of the RCFG.  Paul Pearson is a regular at RCFG meetings. He consulted extensively with RCFG on the location design and implementation of the unloading area.  The point of the unloading area is to discourage the nuisance parking at Rokeby, Gun Road and other areas by providing a dedicated area for Trail bike riders to go to that is away from built up areas.

 

Up grade of the old trail line.

Earlier in the year RCFG put in a grant application with Parks Victoria for work on the old train line between Rokeby and Crossover. The upgrading of this part of the track is to complete the walking track between Rokeby and Neerim South.

Unfortunately this grant was not approved, however the land manage Craig Jeffs managed to find the money to do extensive upgrading of the track to make it suitable for passive use, walkers, cycle riding and horse riding.  Signs were erected directing trail Bike riders and four wheel drivers along Pilgrim Creek Road. It is unfortunate that this work has been subject to vandalism, with the gates that were initially erected smashed down by a four wheel drive. The compliance, to the signs marking this trail as passive use only, by four wheel drivers and trail bike users is, at this stage, not very evident.

The Baw Baw shire is to erect signs in support of the track at the Rokeby end and is supplying distance markers for the track.

 

 Neerim Show

Our participation at the Neerim Show was once again a great success. This project gives RCFG and other community groups the opportunity to advertise their activities.  WRAPS and Land Care were just two that participated.

 

On going projects/concerns.

The restoration of the Crossover Historic Bridge. This project remains of interest to the group despite the stone walling and delaying tactics of the Baw Baw shire. It has been possible in the last couple of weeks to obtain a letter from a shire representative that has allowed RCFG to lodge a grant application with Heritage Victoria for a grant to undertake an engineering survey of the bridge.  If this grant application is successful we can then proceed to the next stage which is getting a grant (s) to restore the bridge. It should be noted here that to the best of my knowledge it has never been the plan of RCFG to ask the shire for financial support with this project.

 

Hawthorne Bridge.

Hawthorne Bridge crosses the Latrobe River on Latrobe River Road. RCFG believes that this bridge, now in ruin, is a vital link for fire and emergency access to the forest area it once served. For this reason we have contacted the minister concerned and expressed our view that the bridge should be rebuilt.

 

Clean Up Australia Day.

After running this project in co operation with the Warragul Four Wheel Drive Club for many years we decided that this year we would leave it up to another organisation. You can look at the web site to see evidence of the many hundreds of tons of rubbish removed over the years. We basically decided that the bulk of the rubbish, old car bodies and such like had been removed.

 

General comments.

The meetings this year were moved to Rokeby Hall for a couple of reasons.  Firstly the Hall committee in Crossover has developed a poor attitude to RCFG  and secondly it was thought that if we meet at Rokeby Hall we may get some more membership from that are.  Unfortunately the membership from Rokeby has not eventuated and the problem with the Crossover Hall committee was compounded when they were asked to allow the hall to be used by the Green Corps. Project. We were informed that the hall committee would have to have a meeting to discuss our request. 

There was no such reaction from Lillico and Rokeby Hall Committees’ who offered their hall without hesitation and free of charge.  I think it is a sad reflection on the Crossover Hall Committee that they may have allowed some personal gripe with one of the members of RCFG to cloud their judgement to the detriment of the community at large.

 

 

Membership.

Most of the work is now being done by three or four people whilst that has been ok in years gone by we are now facing a burn out situation.  I realise that some of the listed members may have become involved due to a single issue, trail bikes ect, and may now feel that that issue has been settled to their satisfaction.  I think I have demonstrated above that RCFG has been a relevant and dynamic lobby group for the Rokeby and Crossover area and beyond.  So it may be time to forget the plasma and slippers on these cold nights and get involved again.

All positions on the committee will be declared vacant at the AGM, I will not be re nominating for the chair although am happy to fill another position. So if you may have thought you could do a better job in the past now is the time to stand up and be counted.