Note
Slackness prevails due no doubt to the influence of the hot weather.
Orienteering issue of the day - park ranger for the day 3 area of Easter rang concerned about obvious red tapes on shrubs in his park. He has been removing them as litter. After an explanation, he still doesn't want them replaced. A more invisible taping strategy will be required.
It seems that next years events at Easter are fraught with access issues.
Sprint- local uni seems ok, and I am not involved in that one.
Day 1 - negotiations to CEO level with local water authority. Some opposition still from officer level about access inside a fenced reservoir. Strange as the reason for closed catchment status evaporated when it was converted to a recycled water storage. Every time we enter we have to make sure we have the official key. I think part of the reason for officer level concern is that some with key copies have been using their access for private purposes... gold detection, rubbish dumping etc. Probably no access in future unless we negotiate another event with tourism plusses.
Day 2 - where do I start. Prolonged negotiation with Flora and Fauna and Parks over protection of Ballantinia. They have discrete surveillance electronics in the area to control mountain bikers. If I had my way again we wouldn't use this area, but someone went ahead and mapped without checking the access status.The courses are compromised. I doubt we will ever get access again. I am not going to go through these negotiations again. Thankfully another club owns map. They won't get their investment repayed.
Day 3 - Council land with a dedicated ranger. We negotiated with the former incumbent but change of ranger has brought us someone with a strong flora and fauna bent and it has got much harder. Parking moved to outside the park with a 1.5 kilometre walk to assembly. Now invisible tagging.
I declined an invitation to become involved with early negotiations over the key area for 2015, and already those who have taken on the job have come up against flora and indigenous issues. They have my full sympathy.