MA AND BARRABOOL

[albrid-3]

Heard on the grape vine that MA has bought Barrabool True or False and lf they had l hope that next year Australian Vintage Nationals will be hosted by the sporting club at Barrabool

[VMX247]

Negative as far as I have read...plenty of Barrabool or the Bool for short in Vic  ) if you do a search on here and the MA website. 

http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=9544.0

[Lozza]

Was printed in Cycle Torque MA stumped up $1.1M to buy Barrabool. So that answers the question where do licence fees go once and for all.

[EML]

From the sums I've done Lozza, they could have bought it with their tea money. They must have a fund as big as Wall st -oops probabley not a good comparison- but you get what I mean.
In Qld they quote 200K members at at least $50 each per yr-you work it out. And what do we get-it's money for jam. This is my 'Old Chestnut' and it really gets on my wick.
We need to ask more about where it goes and how come if we are the entertainment, why do we pay to get in as well. I'm damn sure no other enterainers have to pay to enter.

[mike1948]

Conondale Nats riders had 2 free tickets each.  Then again, some of us weren't too entertaining, either!

[pirie593]

I think every rider should spend at least 3 years involved in running a club and attending to LCB issues, and hopefully, having involvement at a national level.  Then the discussions about where the money goes and whether or not riders are getting value for their dollar can be based on knowledge rather than perception.

If you want cheap riding, go for drive, find a paddock, unload the bike and go for it.......back of Bourke, probably.

If you want competition, pay for the privelege.....that is, pay for the infrastructure behind the scenes that sets up the insurances necessary these days, processes licences, sets up training schemes for officials (highly necessary within our litigious society), issues permits, organises track inspections and safety procedures etc etc etc.

If MA and its affiliate LCB's were doing such a bad job and wasting our money, there would be break-away groups galore and it would get swamped.  There have always been black/grey meetings, and there always will be, but in the end, they cannot offer access to many tracks and can't offer the prestige of an Oz title.  And just make sure you don't hurt yourself and have 5 weeks off work.

The choice is pretty simple, I think.  And an MA license amounts to about 1 beer a week.  In our condition, its probably a better thing to forego 1 beer a week and pay for the license.

[firko]

If MA have indeed bought Barrabool, I'd like to suggest to them (they do indeed read this forum)that it'd be a far more suitable venue for next years Vintage Nats than the universally unpopular Broadford track.
As much as I've had my 'moments' with MA over the years, I have to fully agree with Piries assessment of the system. The general belief that MA ripping us off and pissing our licence fees against the wall is way off the mark. Insurance companies override everything we do in the 21st century thanks to modern societies need to blame someone else for everything that happens to us. Litigation, lawyers and Insurance companies rule the roost so get used to paying.

[NR555]

If MA have indeed bought Barrabool, I'd like to suggest to them (they do indeed read this forum)that it'd be a far more suitable venue for next years Vintage Nats than the universally unpopular Broadford track.
As much as I've had my 'moments' with MA over the years, I have to fully agree with Piries assessment of the system. The general belief that MA ripping us off and pissing our licence fees against the wall is way off the mark. Insurance companies override everything we do in the 21st century thanks to modern societies need to blame someone else for everything that happens to us. Litigation, lawyers and Insurance companies rule the roost so get used to paying.

I agree with this - on the Vintage Nats venue point, and on the licence fees.  I've also been sceptical of MA's motives at various stages in the past, but this Barrabool move is without question a good one.

[STW996]

From the sums I've done Lozza, they could have bought it with their tea money. They must have a fund as big as Wall st -oops probabley not a good comparison- but you get what I mean.
In Qld they quote 200K members at at least $50 each per yr-you work it out. And what do we get-it's money for jam. This is my 'Old Chestnut' and it really gets on my wick.

200,000 members in QLD?? Given that a K to me is 1000 are you kidding? hold on, just went and checked MAQ website and it says has over 7000 members so even at an average of 150 per member this is 1.05 million, from that comes the costs of staff, offices and general costs including insurance so not the cash cow you thought it was.

Think of MA what you like but the systems seams to work fine for me.

As for the Bool thing good on them and as I have heard the local government, for sticking their hands in the pockets and supporting our South counterparts and the sport in general.

Would be a top spot for the nationals not that I have anything against Broadford.


Shane

[Mick22]

If MA have indeed bought Barrabool, I'd like to suggest to them (they do indeed read this forum)that it'd be a far more suitable venue for next years Vintage Nats than the universally unpopular Broadford track.

I really like Barrabol but unfortunately Barrabol is no better suited to vintage racing than Broadford anymore, doubles triples and stutters, vertical ramps on the table tops etc. It comes down to which track are they willing to flatten and start again for the nats.

The surface is better at Broadford than it has ever been, they have put in a lot of effort to get it right, and a hell of o lot better than the Bool in the wet.
The biggest problem with Broadford seems to come down to how much time they put into preparing the track. When they put the time in, its great.

They have everything at Broadford to make it happen, plenty of machinery, watering systems, decent facilities and a good layout. We just have to hope the right people are involved in the trak prep for the nats

[Brian Watson]

A lot of people bash MA with very little knowledge about what goes on behind the scenes..I was on the board here at MWA for 4 years and it was a real eye opener...MAQ have the most money in the bank by  along shot...and it is because of participation ..they get a lot of users...and users pay... insurance is impossible to get for our type of motorsport..so MA set "our" own insurance company..thanks for that ..now we can keep riding...as stated above ..get involved at SCB level and see where the money comes from and where it goes....how much does a transponder cost?....shit loads ...!!

[oldfart]

MA = Leech

[EML]

Geez- just as I thought-plenty of to's and fro's for old ACU (sorry MA) Democracy is always good for debate-or is that the other way around-I really should have listened back at Ngaruawahia High!!
Anyway, it still bothers me that in France they could pay us to race-no matter how many came through the gate-and yet even at our biggest event here we have to pay. Not even free entry for coming.
Bloody stock cars get start money for christ sake. But then again I 'spose someone thinks they're worth watching, where-as we can't buy a crowd.
On to Broadford, I can't comment on Barrabool as I've never been there, but as was commented broadford has the facilities but as to how they run a GP there is beyond me. In Europe the tracks must be 8 metres wide minimum and I think old Broady might just be that wide at the start and that's it.
There is plenty of scope though and I think it could be done but maybe we should revisit the argument that the older bikes race first and then as the track cuts up the more modern bikes get their go.
That way the bikes with suspension get to use it and those without get a smooth surface.
We spoke at length about this at Conondale but I have no idea what the outcome was.

[VMX247]

Somethings going on
Motorcycling Australia would like to advise that it has withdrawn the planning application it currently has before the Surf Coast Shire regarding McAdam Park, Barrabool.

The application has been withdrawn to allow MA some time to consider its plans in relation to the further development of McAdam Park.

The current application with the Surf Coast Shire was lodged prior to MA becoming involved in the acquisition of the facility.

MA’s CEO, David White, explained that more time is needed for consultation before making a decision with how best to progress with development at the complex.

“We need some time to consider all of the options for the property and will consult with the various stakeholders regarding plans moving forward,” he said.

“A new and revised plan will be lodged in the future – we are hoping this will be done throughout the first half of next year.”

As further information comes to hand regarding the future developments of McAdam Park, Barrabool, it will be posted on the MA website at www.ma.org.au.

[EML]

Interesting footnote here. A day or two after this thread was aired, I got an email from MA cautioning me about descent. Please tell me we all got one or was it just me and is big brother taking over. I thought this was an open forum. Was there anything I said that was not on anyone elses minds??
Just Checking.