[Richard Farrant]

I have been following this subject for sometime. Since I have attended Corowa Swim-In week on four differnet occasions, then I feel qualified to make some comments, especially as I know many of those involved in the event.

The creating "Year of the Tracked Vehicle" as next year's theme, was obviously going to attract those with heavier and larger vehicles than carriers. Knowing Ball Park caravan site, well enough, it is blatently obvious for numerous reasons, that the site is not practical for any tracked vehicles over carrier size. I am agreeing with Ian Pullen all the way on this. Safety when manouvering, ground damage, nowhere to exercise them on-site, etc.

Keith Adam presented a thoroughly good proposal, I remember visiting Corowa airport some years ago when he ran his event there, it makes sense for the heavier and larger vehicles to be camped and located there. They then have direct access to the bush tracks for the off road drive.

As in the UK, many tank owners will not have their own transporters, so would have to hire one to drop the vehicle off and collect again at the end of the event. This in mind, it would not be logistical to have these heavy tracked vehicles at Ball Park, or adjacent, making it difficult to get to the airport for the off road runs, display, etc. Some of the tracked vehicles that might come, could be impractical for driving on bitumen roads, due to steel cleated tracks, etc, causing damage, even rubber padded tracks could damage as the weather can still be quite warm in March. It would appear that KVE would be trying to undermine Keith's plan of off road driving, etc. at the airport or its vicinity, by approaching Corowa council themselves, AFTER Keith had made similar approaches.

Keith's proposal and Ian's advice should be taken onboard. As I see it, KVE has only 6 members, if they have plans to run any operations at the airport and Ball Park, then they do not have enough manpower in their organisation to undertake this. The event has grown in recent years, all by reputation and tradition, the organising should really be taken from members with long term experience from the three major clubs who participate, AMVCS in NSW, the Victorian club and South Australian club. The Australian Armoured Vehicle Association should also be consulted as their members would have wide experience in handling these vehicles and be a potential source of entries.

If the tank and tracked vehicle owners are to be encouraged to bring their vehicles to the event, they want to have somewhere big enough that they can all be able to exercise them safely and together, and this is what Keith's proposal is all about, any dithering and argueing now, will put these people off and result in potential entrants losing interest, which is quite the opposite of what should be happening. If you capture people's interest right now, then they can have time to prepare their vehicles and save their money, ready for next March.

The two venues can be combined in regards to events during the week so everyone feels they are a part of it, for instance, alternative social events at both sites, for all entrants. As this theme is only for 2008, all operations will then revert to Ball Park in subsequent years. This is an opportunity to involve military vehicle owners of ALL types, next year, don't lose it, accept help and assistance which is given with good intentions.