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/p ... ey/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
