North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Last round (promise)

I'd like to point out something about those Dept of Fisheries and Agriculture grants to Recfish..

Three of the grants went to Australian Recreational and Sportsfishing Industry Incorporated totalling $115,775.

Four more went to RecFish totalling $349,880.

Different names.

What's the connection?

It the same mob. RecFish Australia is the trading name for Australian Recreational Sportsfishing Industry Confederation Incorporated.

The name of the receiving organisation and the words indicating the reasons are not mine. They belong to the federal Dept of Fisheries and Agriculture. They would have taken those words straight from the grant application.

Look at the $198,000 grant. " Scoping study for the introduction of government levies on recreational fishermen".

Not official RecFish policy my foot!

AFANT's CEO couldn't back pedal fast enough the other day trying to claim that it wasn't policy.

My old worknose gets twitchy when I see different names used to mean the same organisation when government funds are concerned. I'm not suggesting illegal activities. There's got to be a reason for it though.

Wind forward to the present.

I think its accepted now by everybody that AFANT receives NT govt funding in the order of $200,000 per year. I think its also accepted that 2 AFANT employees receive $160,000 a year in salaries and other benefits including motor vehicle and superannuation.

Of note is that the salary increases have averaged 7% per annum over the last 5 years. There'd be a lot of people in real jobs who would love to get 7% per annum increase instead of the piddling 3% most have to fight for.

So what is the annual income spent on?

Salaries, motor vehicle, office running costs. Obligatory grants to organisations on the NT governments behalf with the left-over into the cash accounts which total $271,000 at the moment.

It sure as hell isn't being spent on member services.

To what end has $270,000 been squirreled away?

Membership is stagnating, Corporate sponsors are falling.

The last member newsletter is dated October 2009.

The AFANT development plan is for the period 2006 - 2009. None for 2010 onwards?

When was the last AFANT project for members?

AFANT has simply lost touch with its membership base and is stagnating.

If only AFANT could get rid of those pesky members. Then it could knuckle down and really get some work done servicing the government of the day.

Its not surprising that a lot of people (lots) believe AFANT is completely run by volunteers.

The nitty gritty............

AFANT believes that it has the ability to marshall sufficient recreational fishermen's votes to make political life difficult for any NT party which doesn't fawn over it.

Complacency bordering on arrogance has crept into the public face of AFANT.

Thanks to most for taking the time to listen and to Matt for the opportunity to have a say about something bound to draw flack.

Thanks also to the non-fishing people for taking the time to be interested spectators on this and the other related related threads,

Can much be achieved under an LCP government?

The LCP has been in government before with the handout in place so I'd say yes.

It sounds like some members of the current LCP are not happy with AFANT. Nor it seems is the independant Gerry Wood.

Maybe financial membership will take control of its organisation back from the bureaucrats and the good-time-charlie freeloading supporters.

Interesting times ahead.

Seems to me that Ronje is stating his thoughts about an organisatiom of which up until the last renewal he supported with annual membership. Seems he is stating his opinions with actuall numbers and FACTS off the annual report etc. a lot of other people are having a crack and personal ones at that. Why? Where is everyone else's facts to disprove his theories. Can no one debate these days and just send personal insults instead.

I would like to red others thoughts on what Ronje has said with facts that prove him and his thoughts wrong.

Again he posted documents with info in them supporting his thoughts yet no one seems to have even read them.

I believe he used to live in Darwin and therefor contributed to NT fishing regardless and should be entitled to his opinion regardless of where he lives now. Some might not agree with what or how he says things but prove him wrong. Don't throw insults like a 4 year old.

I look forward to reading more on this.

Politics..........Blah Blah Blah

Go fishing and enjoy yourselves instead of bickering at each other!!

That is all!!!

I have been away catching giant snapper in SA and re read this twice but cant really see what this is all about yet. But MRB we dont always agree but this time yes you are making a lot of sense, play the ball, not the man.

Seriously I fall asleep everytime I try to read a Ronje rant but would like to make a few observations/points

We have established that AFANT is Govt funded (knew that)

We now know that AFANT have two employees on the books the rest are volunteers.

We know that AFANT have close ties with ALP. Which I would think would make sense concidering they are the Govt and allocate most of the funds towards AFANT.

Dave Tollner doesn't like AFANT (No big deal as no one likes him including his own Party)

Gerry Wood seems to be very pro commercial fishing. Next election Gerry will just go back to being a nobody anyway.

Seems that REC FISH has two trading names (the company I work for has three Tyco, Water Dynamics and Darwin Irrigation Supplies)

So what is it that you actually trying to say Ronje?? Insted of tying to drip feed everyone info why do't you get too the point???

As for playing the ball and not the man how about the man earn some respect and not be a whinging southerner. How about offer some soloutions instead of innuendo and rumour mongering. There will be no respect from my end because unfortunatly Ronje you come accross like a tool.
And for whats it worth I am not a member of AFANT. Having said that I think they play a role even though a lot of their policy differs greatly to my own ideals. And when election time comes although fishing will come into account, It will be well down the list. I will place a lot more value on employement education etc than on fishing policy.

Ghound

The best way to look at this is in what has been achieved over the years for recreational fishermen.

People have looked to the Territory as an example of what could be achieved, largely because of the people in AFANT.

The most important NT rivers have been closed to netting. And Darwin and Bynoe Harbours.

Infrastructure (boat ramps etc) is generally good. We have several artificial reefs.

In fact, AFANT has done so well, the CLP and Gerry Wood say too much has been handed to the NT's recreational sector.

While having a lobby group funded by government might appear to make them pliable, AFANT has been effective.

Whether AFANT gets too much cash or not enough is ultimately a value judgement based on what AFANT achieves.

You can't have an effective executive if you are paying nothing - it will always be a half-baked, half-organised set-up if it is all volunteers, unless you are extremely lucky with your volunteer group.

I have been writing about the NT fishing scene since 1996 and dealt with various incarnations of AFANT during some important issues.

Without AFANT and the current NT Labor government, there could easily be a slide backwards for fishermen.

I think ronje puts an interesting case, and has done so without slagging off at people. Shame others didn't just stick to the facts.

As a recipient of government funds, and a lobby group, AFANT is fair game in politics.

I am glad AFANT is there, I hope they are there in 10 years, gunna need them as "progress" threatens more fishing spots, and fish stocks.

A list of AFANT achievements would be good to see, it might awaken people to what has happened and what is going on.

The battle to stop the Shoal Bay Prawn Farm was just one I remember - AFANT was there putting the heat on the CLP. Darwin fishos could easily have been stuck with a huge prawn farm right in the middle of Darwin's nearest barra nursery.

There have been interesting times, and there will be more.

ronje wrote:Last round (promise)

This must be killing you ron
never say never

Whats AFANTs comeback on what Ronje has posted they would certainly be watching this thread ? 7% a year pay rise now that would be good

Hi Max

I'm happy to answer any particular questions you may have but Im not going to throw petrol on Ron's fire.

Although salaries are an issue for the AFANT Committee and employees I will say that we hav had a salary agreement in place since 2009. The only salry increases provided for in that agreement are directly linked to movements in the Darwin Consumer Price Index as provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Therehas not been a 7% increase in CPI in any year that I know of. I don't know what Ron is basing his 7% per year increase on but perhaps he is looking just at total salry cost. If so, I hope he's taking into account that Mel (our Office Manger) has been on Maternity Leave in the second half of 2011 and that there are additonal salary costs associated with her replacement.

Regards

Well said Matt !!!

I have always been one to appreciate a person who can present a opinion about a problem but with a solution, if you don't have a way to improve on the status quo then best to keep quiet.