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2012 Annual Report.Pub Field and Game Australia Annual Report 2011-12 guide to annual report This is the annual report of Field and Game Australia Inc, for the year ending June 30, 2012. The report provides information for the board, branches and stakeholders of Field and Game Australia about the organisation’s operations and performance. Field and Game Australia can not be held liable for any printing errors in this document. inside Part 1 contains an address from FGA Chairman Mr Bill Paterson and FGA contents CEO Mr Rod Drew. Part 2 gives a description of the organisation’s values, stakeholders, Chairman’s Address ...... 4 patrons, life members and management structure, as well as significant appointments and sub-committees. Part 3 details FGA’s membership statistics from this year and in CEO’s Address ...... 6 comparison to other years figures. Part 4 reports on the organisation’s achievements and performance and outlines the challenges that lay ahead. About FGA ...... 8 Part 5 recognises the achievements of various members and branches who have contributed to the overall success of the organisation. Membership ...... 11 Part 6 contains the audited financial report for the 2011-12 financial year. Part 7 reports on the game management sector, including game management, pest and vermin, and waterfowl count data. Partnerships ...... 12 Part 8 includes target participation figures and reports and results from the 2011 National Carnival. Part 9 reports on the progress of the WET Trust. Highlights ...... 13 acknowledgements FGA Awards ...... 15 Front cover image: Stockvault Contributors: Alison O’Connor, Shelley Gough, Tom Chick, Bill Paterson, Peter Rice, Noreen Sloan, Rod Drew, Rob Treble. Financial Report ...... 16 Printed by: Willprint, Shepparton. feedback Game Management ...... 18 We would welcome your comments regarding the readability and usefulness of this report. To provide feedback please: Conversation Hunting ...... 23 Email: [email protected] Phone: 03 5799 0960 Post: Field and Game Australia, PO Box 464, Seymour VIC 3660 Clay Target Shooting ...... 24 WET Trust ...... 26 contact field & game australia Address: 65 Anzac Avenue, Seymour (PO Box 464, Seymour VIC 3660) Email: [email protected] Fax: 03 5799 0961 Phone: 03 5799 0960 Website: www.fga.net.au facebook.com/fieldandgame chairman’s address It has now been a year changes covering protestor safety. since my appointment We continue to be well represented on Government as Chairman at last committees and Advisory Councils at both State and year’s AGM, and to Federal levels, and we’re extremely grateful for the say that the time has effort members and staff put into these. It is a simple gone quickly is an fact that unless we are very active in these, we will understatement. slowly lose ground. FGA has had a very Hunting and shooting sports activities continue to busy year, but this is show strong growth, helped in a large part by not unusual. environmental factors. The end of the drought has The change over for seen the return of duck numbers, as we predicted. Game responsibility Also, as a result of the past bushfires, deer numbers from DSE to DPI was have also increased. These factors have led to taking place late last increases in duck licenses (26,000) and in deer year, at the same time licenses (23,000). Bill Paterson that we were working FGA membership has also continued its steady with both agencies on growth and is now over 15,500. the forthcoming Duck Season. Our request for We have recognised that this success in membership extended bag limits did not get through the two presents a challenge in being able to maintain the Ministers, however the season went well, despite high level of member service to which we are the majority of the birds flying north shortly before committed. Recognising this, we have recently the opening of the season. appointed Mr Steve Hunt to the position of The transfer to DPI has now been completed. It was Stakeholder Services Officer. Steve will be based in a significant disappointment that the Minister did the Seymour office, but with the intention that 40% not establish a of his time will be statutory Game “We continue to be well working with Council, as had been branches, acting as a promised prior to the represented on Government conduit to the office election, and both and facilitating action FGA and SSAA have committees and Advisory Councils on issues of concern confirmed that they to branches. will not participate in at both State and Federal levels... Most of the big issues the body being branches are faced proposed. We are all It is a simple fact that unless we with have already keen to see a been dealt with by solution to this are very active in these, we will other branches, and impasse very soon. slowly lose ground” Steve will be a The first significant resource available, challenge for DPI – Bill Paterson, FGA Chairman not to do the work, was organising for but to coach the renewal of the Game Regulations which reached branches in established best practice, putting them their “sunset” in early September this year. We were in touch with already tried and tested professionals very concerned that changes were required to the and agencies. Human Safety Regulations to control duck protestor How to apply for your range permits, arrange a fox activity and to avoid a repeat of the incident in 2011 drive on a State Game Reserve, get water to a when a protestor was shot, however we were told wetland, these are things which a branch should not that this would not be addressed in the renewed learn by experience, rather from others who have Regulations. We facilitated an extremely strong already done so. It’s a matter of knowing who to ask response to the request for comment and many and where to go, and that’s where Steve can help. respondents, including ours, suggested changes regarding protestors. Hence, it was very gratifying to The Heart Morass project continues to develop well see the new Regulations included the requested and, as we have noted before, is the largest wetland Preserving Cultural Traditions 4 project in Australia. It is certainly very wet! The certainly makes all the effort that is put in to the day continued rain and flushings may have restricted the worthwhile. restoration work being carried out, but it has I would like to recognise the work of our Board who, combated the acid-sulphate problems caused by salt in addition to their normal Board responsibilities, water ingress during the years of drought. Acid levels have all taken on specific portfolios. This allows one have dropped significantly and the ecosystem is or two Board members to undertake an intensive heading exactly where our Management Plan has activity and then put together a packaged targeted. recommendation to the Board. The FGA National Carnival continues to grow in I am fortunate to be in the sadly, rare position for a popularity and last year’s event, hosted by our volunteer organisation, of having two past Chairman Echuca-Moama branch, still active members of was no exception. “FGA continues to enjoy the the Board. I must give This year’s Carnival will particular thanks to Mr be held at Seymour. We very generous support of a Russ Bate who drove reached the limit of 486 the organisation entrants in August and great group of sponsors, who through 10 years of closed nominations, challenges, innovation three months before are also generous in their praise and growth, and was the event. good enough to stay on for the work Field and Game do and allow me such an FGA continues to enjoy easy transition. the very generous in promoting shooting sports” support of a great Finally, I would like to group of sponsors, who – Bill Paterson, FGA Chairman recognise our great are also generous in staff at the National their praise for the work Field and Game Australia do Office, Rod Drew, Peter Rice, Steve Hunt, Noreen in promoting the shooting sports. Sloan, Alison O’Connor, Shelley Gough and Lauri Rowe. These folk do a great job serving our The political side of our activities continues to absorb members, both through direct contact and via the a great deal of time and effort. I have just come back many meetings with Government and business. They from three days in Canberra, meeting politicians and also watch and catch the surprising number of our briefing them on what we are doing and the issues members who are so happy with their service, that we are concerned about. they pay their membership twice and sometimes Our annual Politician’s Shoot is very popular and even three times! continues to be well attended. It is a great opportunity to let them see what FGA is about and to firm up contacts. If nothing else, it allows Bill Paterson politicians who may not have seen a gun since they - FGA Chairman were a child to see that we are just normal folk with a passion for hunting and shooting pursuits. This » vale ron bryant - fga life member Field and Game Australia farewelled its esteemed Life Member Ron Bryant in March. Ron was the Association’s second ever Life Member, and was Secretary of the Association for 10 consecutive years commencing in 1959. In addition, Ron served as Port Phillip Branch Secretary in 1964, as the Branch Treasurer in 1972-73, and as Port Phillip’s President in 1974-75. Ron was involved with Max Downes – Fisheries & Wildlife Department – in setting up the Nest Box Program to save the Pacific Black Ducks, and was a key figure in the formation of the Port Phillip Region.
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