THE CANBERRA • BUSI{WALKING CLUB l INC. NEWSLETTER GPO Box 160, Canberra ACT 2601 VOLUME 36 July 2000 NUMBER 7 JULY GENERAL MEETING 8pm Wednesday 19th Speaker: Sgt Williamson, AFP Search & Rescue (ACT), on 'Police Search &.Rescue Procedures' Dickson Library Community Room Make the most of the evening andJoin other in em ben at 6.00pm for a convivial (8YO) meal oil/ic P/to I'hu Qnoc Restaurant possible, a leader would be Also In This Issue: PRESIDENT'S expected to discuss the contents of Item Page PRATTLE the guidelines before accepting a non-member on a trip. MEMBERSHIP MATFERS 2 This month's Prattle is 2 Guidelines for Activity WALKS WAFFLE 2 devoted to 'duty of care' issues. As Leaders MEETING 2 advised to members at the June General Meeting and outlined in These guidelines define what OF MOTION 3 the Club expects of its leaders. the Training and Safety Officer's DUTYOFCARE 3 article in this It, the working group They would be provided to all REPORTS 3 has finalised three draft documents leaders and prospective leaders. which have been endorsed by the 3 Risks and Obligations Pro- INFORMATION FOR Committee and are now available Fornia PARTICIPANTS IN CBC to members for review and ACTIVITIES 7 The pro-forma sets down the comment. The documents are: DiSCOUNT OFFERS FOR risks faced by participants in Club CLUB MEMBERS 1 Guidelines for Activity activities and their obligations to Participants the Club. It is proposed that all IT CONTRIBUTIONS INVITED These guidelines provide existing members would sign the information on what is expected of pro-forma as part of their next membership renewal and that it those who take part in Club Anyone who doubts that we would also be incorporated into the activities. They would be provided need to clearly define the risks membership form for signing by to all existing members and all faced by participants in Club prospective members. Non- anyone making an application for membership. Any non-member activities and the respcctive members wanting to come on a responsibilities of leaders and Club trip would be expected to taking part in a Club trip would be required to sign the pro-forma activity participants need look no read the guidelines before coming further than the recent press on the trip. If this were not before taking part in a trip. coverage of the death of two presented to the membership for WALKS WAFFLE abseilers in the Blue Mountains formal endorsement. I I and the subsequent calls by police Any comments on the and others for the introduction of This month the walks documents should be provided to controls on public access to program provides a good selection David by 16 August2000. wilderness areas. The documents of day walks but offers less prepared by the working group weekend overnight trips than usual. Perhaps the reason for this is the will, if adopted by the Club, leave An issue that came up cold weather. us well placed to respond quickly towards the end of our duty of care in the future to any changes we deliberations that the documents The ski trips are usually may be forced to make to the way deliberately do not address is the quite popular and among others, we do business'. issue of selection of drivers for Alan Vidler has a few scheduled on Having said that, we have club trips. The Committee's view is the program. that all our drivers have 'mandatory tried to minimise the impact the Please note that a certain qualifications' (ie a valid driver's documents will have on our current degree of competence and licence) and have been duly operations, consistent with what experience is needed for cross- assessed by others as being fit to the working group believes to be country skiing and that some of the drive. If your driver on a Club trip the.Club's dutyof care obligations. committee recommend the Cross has a driving style that unsettles The Club will continue to offer Country Ski Club's training courses you, politely ask him or her to vary activities of varying degrees of as being very good for those it. If there are particular drivers difficulty to suit the varying skill interested and in need. levels of its members, albeit with with whom you prefer not to travel, an increased emphasis on self- let the leader know when you book Subsequent Navigation assessment by members of their on an activity. Refresher trips will involve capacity to take part in these practice/consolidation of those activities. The Club will continue skills with a variety of venues. One Last month's It included a to provide training opportunities so day is to be set aside to examine couple of delightful articles on the that interested members may and use the GPS. The conditions complications that arose from a improve their skill levels. There for refresher trip #4 were perfect crossover trip that had to be will continue to be no requirement for the theme, "dead reckon ing"; it modified when the Shoalhaven for mandatory qualifications or was a rainy black night. River was too high to be safely training as a pre-condition of Participants seemed to enjoy it and crossed. A postscript to one of the membership. both groups found their succession articles noted that next time a rope of map spots to arrive back in good The preparation of the three would be carried to assist with the time for hot drinks and scones. documents is a significant step crossing. Carrying a rope might forward in the resolution of an make sense if you know how to use At the last General Meeting, issue that has dogged the Club for a it, but could be very dangerous and I found Mathew 1-liggin's talk on number of years. If you would like cannot be recommended if you do the ACT Border Survey very to provide comment on the not. The risk of injury or drowning interesting. I was one who had documents, please e-mail David is too high - far better to retrace wondered about those piles of Campbell your steps or stay where you are rocks between Scabby and Kelly. (dcampbell.fishbigpond.com ) until the river level drops if at all Bob Horsfield, Walks Secretary P and ask him to forward them to possible. you. If you do not have e-mail Terence Uren, President AUGUST MEETING access, please give give me a call P I (6282 2403) and I will arrange for The speaker for the monthly hard copy of the documents to be MEMBERSHIP meeting will be Klaus Hueneke, on sent to you. Comment on the MATTERS the topic 'Life and the Australian documents is also being sought New members: Bush'. from the NSW Confederation of Michael Gorgolewski. Bushwalking Clubs and our Klaus will have books he has Insurers. The Committee is Prospective members: written about bushwalking for sale considering whether or not legal Corinne Angelats, Matthieu Blery, there. Klaus also likes audience Stephen Carter, Judy Dann, Crissy advice on their content should be participation so, if you've got any C. sought before they are finalised and questions - speak up! Roger Edwards, Members/Up Secretary P Canberra Bushwalking Club IT July 2000 page 2 activities will continue to form a Guidelines for Activity NOTICE OF part of the Club's input to meeting Coordinators and Leaders, and (c) MOTION its duty of care requirements. Also, Guidelines for participants in Club in line with its duty of care, is the Activities, at the 21 June general It is moved that: minimal impact guidelines first meeting, constitutes a substantive developed by the Club in 1988. step by the working group to The Club donate $200, from meeting its requirements. the Conservation Fund, to the This year, following the Colong Foundation. establishment by the 1998-99 While a number of Club committee of a 'training and safety members have commented on the Tom Widdup of the Colong officer' as a committee position, makeup of this draft, additional Foundation spoke at the May Club has seen the establishment of a input from other Club menibers meeting on the efforts of the duty of care working group. This would be appreciated. As I will not Foundation to achieve increased group, made up of Terence Uren, be in Canberra all of July, they can protection for native forest Meg McKone, Allan Mikkelsen, be obtained by emailing me wilderness areas. This proposed David Drohan, and myself, has through donation is a good way to put our worked to establishing the Club's 'dcm bigpM±cm'; conservation funds to good use in position and to progress its or by contacting Tercnce Uren for an organisation working to handling bfthis issue. a hard copy. Comments need to be implement some of our Clubs emailed to me by the end of July. conservation ideals. The position taken by the working group on behalf of the All of the members of the Allan Mikkelsen, Club was based on five duty of care working group gave Conservation Officer P requirements: particular and important input to the development of a Club position DUTY OF CARE I • that the Club provide guidance and the three documents. However, to its members on how they particular acknowledgement is to Concern that bushwalking might minimise risk to them- be given to the substantive energy clubs meet their duty of care selves and to others while brought to the duty of care working requirements has been a broader participating on a Club activity; group by Terence Uren.