A message from Motorcycling Australia's President

A message from Motorcycling Australia’s President

Change has occurred at Motorcycling Australia (MA), with Dale Gilson taking up the position of CEO replacing the retiring David White and my appointment to the Board as the new President.

This is a big shift for the organisation and both Dale and I know the scrutiny we are under to deliver positive outcomes for the sport. Both the Council and Board are united in a common cause to grow the sport and provide services that all our members and stakeholders are happy with. A lot of feedback has been provided to MA on how the organisation is doing as a Governing Body and this will be used to help direct us into the future. I take all feedback on board and can assure you that moving forward we will strive to achieve excellence and give our stakeholders confidence in our ability to deliver on expectations.

Under the MA constitution I can only hold one position within the organisation; this means that I have resigned my Chairman’s role on the Junior Commission. This leaves a position vacant, so if you have an interest in helping our juniors please contact the office. Being involved as a volunteer is very rewarding and it just does not need to be on race day. At a Club and State level, there is an opportunity for involvement via Board positions and Committees. Within the Governing Body there is also an opportunity for involvement by becoming a Commissioner. Most of the positions are not that time consuming, so have a think about how you can assist to shape our future.

I would like to bring you up to speed on several of the issues that the new Board currently faces. The first is the Australian Superbike series. Work is currently underway by MA to put together several options for 2015. We have the perfect opportunity to get this right so that we can showcase our talent and provide the premier road race championship that befits its national status. Getting it right means that talks are occurring with all the stakeholders, including state bodies, promoters, factory teams through to the privateer riders. Winning an Australian title provides credibility and for many of our past recipients it has led to international rides so it is imperative that this element is factored into the model that is developed for 2015 and future years. Juniors are another element that must be considered as they are a crucial part of repopulating our world paddocks in future years. So as you can see there is much to consider when putting this Australian Championship together to ensure that the championship benefits all parties involved and grows in the future.

The second hot topic is the McAdam Park Motocross facility at Barrabool. Once again what has transpired is in the past, so let’s focus on moving positively forward to resolve the issue. Dale and I have met with the Surf Coast Shire and other stakeholders in the first weeks of our tenure as President and CEO. We attended this meeting but we did not contribute, we only listened to what was said. Talks are occurring with Geelong Council in securing a piece of land in the Geelong area that will have a brand new facility built on it. The McAdam Park member clubs will be consulted regarding the design and construction of the facility. I have a good understanding of the issues which have transpired over time and Dale will be quickly brought up to speed so that we can all make informed decisions to ensure a sustainable future for motorcycle sport in the Geelong and Surf Coast Shire regions.

Having only been in the role for three weeks I would appreciate a bit of patience, Rome was not built in a day and there are some complex issues as I have stated that require due diligence. On a positive note, there is a new database that is in the commissioning phase, which will mean that Clubs and SCB’s will have a streamlined way of operating. There are other initiatives well underway with the new junior coaching framework being developed and a high performance plan that incorporates entry level through to the elite. We are working on a better media presence which should benefit all of our members and stakeholders, both locally and internationally. Australia currently has over 50 riders overseas across many disciplines. Many of these riders are on the podium each week so it is important that we educate the Australian public regarding their efforts. The flow on effect from this is that our Clubs, State and Australian Title races will attract greater support from the media and this should result in greater participation in the sport and more spectator numbers attending our events.

Lastly I would like to thank the Council in a public forum for having the confidence in me to hold this position and for those that know me personally; you all know I am here for all disciplines and am prepared to listen. I will be attending as many race meetings as possible, so feel free to come and have a chat.

Regards