Thanks to ChR1s and Guy for all the hard work and yes, for keeping us
informed!

Another small step ...

fleur
----- Original Message ----- > Message: 2
> Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 12:41:51 +1100
> From: Chris Turner <christ@...>
> Subject: What's it mean?
>
>
> OK, we had a win in Parliament yesterday, SO WHAT?
>
> It's a stunt with a political agenda.
>
> It is almost meaningless in terms of enforcement changes, it just goes
back
> to what it was just before Christmas. Retrospective labels and no margins
on
> sound tests - almost impossible to comply with, but only directed to
> motorcycles with aftermarket exhausts. Laws able to be used for other
> purposes and failing to actually address the noise problem which EPA
aren't
> really able to define.
>
> PROTEST
> What we did is another way of running a protest, but using the democratic
> process and getting it into the public record through Hansard. The NSW
> Labour government hates it.
>
> We are still dependent upon the Govt to issue Regulations that can be
> complied with. We have been discussing this issue for nearly five years
and
> finally got the promise of corrections to the Regs early last year.
Finally
> they arrived on Christmas eve, to be slipped through while no-one was
> looking. They are pathetic wishy washy changes and do not give relief from
> harassment to riders.
>
> What we have done is to make a lot of public and political noise to throw
> the Regs back at the Govt with the message "this is not good enough",
"take
> them back and re-submit workable Regs".
> This method is far more effective than writing yet another letter saying
> "'scuse me mister, can we have another useless meeting where you will
again
> treat us with complete contempt?"
>
> It is also more effective and useful than a street protest, where we would
> be exposed to a risky downside.
>
> By using this particular strategy, we get it all recorded in Hansard, to
> make public the background issues and contemptuous discussions that had
> been hidden from view.
>
> We have attached the motorcycle Tourism issue, particularly relevant to
> Ulysses and any regional tourism centre in NSW, by highlighting the fact
> that NSW has unique and retrospective laws that EPA assert are enforceable
> on out of state riders.
>
> We have got the attention of the EPA at Director level. Now we have
cleared
> low level idiots from the floor, we can move forward on cleaning up. The
big
> boys want to talk now.
>
> This Government has become arrogant. Through too many years in power, the
> public service has become politicised and lower level functionaries only
> tell those above them what they think they want to hear. This became
> apparent in our "negotiation" meeting with EPA yesterday.
>
> Oh yes, Chris Turner, Chair of Noise Committee, and myself met with the
top
> end of town in the EPA along with their political minder, where we had
been
> invited to negotiate. The meeting was dishonest, as they brought nothing
to
> negotiate with, other than arrogance, bluff, threats and empty pockets.
>
> With nothing from EPA to trade (like removal of Clause 19) in order to
> prevent the Motion from running, we were disinclined to be nice to them
and
> so puppy was let off the chain yesterday morning. It was a hoot, with the
> Democrats, Liberals, Christians & Greens, all taking turns to heap
ridicule
> upon the EPA and then voting to throw the Regs back in the face of the EPA
> regulators.
>
> Some of the banter was terrific. It was an informed debate and the Govt
was
> very weak in response. The Nationals Richard Colless had a ball,
bollocking
> the lack of commonsense from EPA and suggesting that John DellaBosca, if
he
> did ride a bike it would be...a Harley!... yes, a Fat Boy! (and Costa a
> Harley Black Knight). Considerable heckling took place as Hatzigeros spoke
> weakly for the Government. Charlie Lynne for the Liberals informed
> Parliament that a Harley didn't make noise, but made music. The EPA labels
> were just laughed at.
>
> Hansard is available @ http://tinyurl.com/6gh2a or
>
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hanstrans.nsf/v3ByKey/LC20050
> 302
>
> Our thanks to the Australian Democrats for running the Motion and
assisting
> in making every effort to negotiate with EPA.
>
> A successful protest by MCC of NSW.
>
> The entire NSW Parliament now knows that riders are very unhappy with EPA
> Regulations and WHY. It is now on the permanent public record of
Parliament
> and anyone can quote it at will.
>
> However, remember, this DOES NOT change the law. We have just made it
public
> that its a set of stupid laws.
>
> Guy Stanford
> MCCofNSW
>
>
>