b'CLUB SPOTLIGHT REPORTREGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES MEETING BAIRNSDALEMay 2023T he Regional Representatives program serves2000s when the landowner passed away on site, the to provide clear contact points in landland and adjoining areas where purchased by Parks management agencies (Department of Energy,Victoria in the years after and added to the Mitchell Environment and Climate Action and ParksRiver National Park. Wayne Hevey thanked AJ and the Victoria) and Four Wheel Drive Victoria to facilitateBairnsdale 4wd Social club for arranging this special discussion and information sharing on 4WD issues ofaccess for us today through Parks Victoria.mutual interest. It aims to provide a point of contactWe all agreed it was such beautiful, tranquil spot. so that those with local on-ground knowledge canThe non-native trees around the homestead glowed deal with issues directly. Meetings move around thein the Autumn sun and the river with its own beachy State to showcase different regions. This time it wasbend was ever so inviting. After a look around and Bairnsdales turn. some lunch, cars were packed and we back tracked to Around 20 people arrived in town on Saturday fora turn off and drove up to a lookout of breathtaking a tour into Mitchelldale, a property with restrictedviews to the north and west. A few more stories were access managed by Parks Victoria. Andrew Johnsontold about the local area before everyone headed (AJ), President Bairnsdale 4WD Social Club, ledback to Bairnsdale for a well earned dinner at the the way and together with members from the clubBairnsdale Club. A fabulous day!and Ollie from Parks Victoria, gave informativeSundays formal meeting saw 46 people attending. commentary over the UHF along the way. We left theFWDV Regional Representatives from across the state, DEECA offices around 10am, our convoy snaking paststaff from both DEECA and Parks Victoria and Gunnai Lindenow, Glenaladale on the Bairnsdale Dargo Road.man Wayne Thorpe, who was invited to speak after It wasnt long before we turned onto the dirt andlunch.started dropping down into the valley of the MitchellGail Wright of Parks Victoria opened the meeting River National Park. Our destination came into viewand gave the Welcome to Country. First up, Gail as we descended the final part of the track. We parkedand Wayne Hevey led a lively discussion regarding on the grassy flats near the hut. Everyone was excitedParkConnect and how it will be utilised in the future to get out and look around. AJ held our attention firstfor MVO access applications, Annual Volunteer Activity with his incredible knowledge of the area and itsPlans as well as the volunteer registration and projects history, the hut was used and lived in until the earlythat it was originally created for. There was plenty of 26 TRACKWATCH|June 2023'