Year of the Tracked Vehicle (Corowa 08)

[Jan Thompson]

Entries are arriving daily via email and mail. A great selection of vehicles including a few tracked ones. Support from KVE members has been great and anyone else who would like to assist will be welcomed.

[Jan Thompson]

On Wednesday 12th March at 10am we will be visiting the Aged Care Facility - Karinya Apartments in Corowa and will provide a selection of vehicles for a display for the residents. Please let me know via PM or email if you will be able to attend this event and the vehicle you will be displaying. It would be great to have a selection of vehicles.

[Ian Pullen]

The scheduled visit to the Karinya Appartments is expected to be a great event during the week that is "Corowa".

It is anticipated that quite a few vehicles will join us for the visit. For those who are unaware, Karinya Appartments is possibly the largest aged care facility in Corowa.

As there are many veterans who live there we feel that this visit will be of great benefit to both the rally and the people who call Karinya their home.

As this has to be a co-ordinated event due to traffic control and available parking space, it is requested that any interested parties contact Jan (PM or e-mail) so numbers etc can be organised.

Look forward to seeing as many as possible turn up.

Thank you..

CHEERS IAN

[alexmacca30]

The good news that I got today from the Manager of the Engineering Dept at Corowa Council is that the Traffic Management Plan that I submitted last year for the Street Parade has been approved.

Therefore everything is a go for the street Parade with the heavier AFVs as per the guidelines that Ian has previously written in regards to the restrictions of the types of vehicles that can attend the parade.

I hope the TMP will be made publicly available shortly. Please note that suggestions to changes can not be accepted as this is a final approved document by the Corowa Council and the NSW RTA. No changes can be made as there is no time to have any changes approved.

As this is the first time that we have tried this I will be open to comments after the event. It may require some fine tuning for future events of this type.

The good news is that for those taking their AFVs they can drive them in confidence that the TMP is all above board.

Alex

[Ian Pullen]

The job that Alex has done is second to none as far as this sort of thing is concerned. It's not every day that this type of thing is organised.

The fact that he has arranged a Traffic Plan to cover so many vehicles ranging from Leopard Tanks, through M3 Stuarts, M113s, LP Carriers, CMPs, Studebakers, Jeeps, Rovers and Bikes to get through council first go is no mean feat.

With todays world of litigation, the street parade is now actually covered as far as insurance is concerned as duty of care is now taken care of.

As previously mentioned, there will be changes to the parade sequence to cover the theme vehicles.

This is a SAFETY requirement.

With this, there will be shorty posted a set of Convoy Procedures. This complies with the compulsory driver's brief that will take place on the Friday 14 March at 6pm prior at the information caravan at the Ball Park Caravan Park.

There will be a final drivers briefing at 0830 Saturday at the parade start point.

I know that it sounds like there is an ideal of over control on the committees part, but bear with us. This type of thing happens very rarely. Safety is paramount with these vehicles.

[alexmacca30]

Just further to Ian's comments, it may appear very bureaucratic and there is a great deal of work involved however, for those who are the participants, it will mean a far smoother parade also. For those people driving AFV's with very limited experience and who may be a tad nervous, the TMP should work to your benefit as you should not have to stop until the end at the airport. For most it will appear as normal.

Please do not be put off at all by the requirements we have put in place. They are based primarily on safety factors.

Alex

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

I've been largely indisposed this month but work is going ahead, and everything will be up "in the rough" this week. Alex, I recd all of your TMP diagrams last night and will post ASAP in printable form, with links here.

Will advise step-by-step progress. Stand by.

Jif

[Jan Thompson]

Hi all,
I have a few extra events to add to the proposed program. On Wednesday night at 8.30pm at Ball Park Caravan Park, Lang and Bev Kidby have offered to do a talk on their Fiat 500 - Around the World Expedition that they did in 2007.

On Friday evening Major Paul Handel will do a talk at the Corowa Airport at 8.30pm on Armoured Vehicles and Tanks.

The South Australian club will probably bring along equipment so we can show movies and DVD's in the evening at Ball Park Caravan Park.

It is only 6 weeks until the event and we have a great selection of events for participants. You are welcome to pick and choose what you attend.

Please remember to come down to Ball Park upon arrival and sign yourselves in so we know you have arrived. If you have preregistered a participant pack will be put aside for you.

[alexmacca30]

Another positive today. We are doing a run to a nearby property for the AFV's under control of Keith Adam. I drew up a Traffic Management Plan for this last night and had it approved by the council today. The RTA may wish to make comment but it should be no problem as we are only moving down a very short length of their road.

Everything appears to be falling into place nicely now.



Alex

[Lang]

Bev and I will be coming to Corowa with my Dodge Carryall but on the back of my 1970 Volvo F86 eight-wheeler. As we are leaving Brisbane on Saturday and will be at the show all week until Sunday I would be happy to collect any vehicles within striking distance (say 200km) for fuel cost only who can fit in with that timing.

You will need a departure point loading ramp (or if you have your machine on another vehicle we can transfer back to back) but Corowa has one at that end.

Deck is 24ft long and load capacity is 15 ton. Crane is 6 ton (at least it is tagged for that but hydraulics are a bit tired!)

Anyhow if anyone can use the capacity I am happy to talk
lang@st.net.au

[Jan Thompson]

If anyone from the Ballarat area or coming through this area has room on a truck for a Jeep size vehicle to be taken to Corowa please send me a PM. The vehicle only requires transport one way as it will then be transported to Sydney.

[Lang]

This is the truck available if someone is short of Corowa transport.

Lang

[Keith Webb]

Alex McPherson has sourced a form from RTA relating to temporary permits in New South Wales.

[Lang]

Those with an ability to travel through Victoria at some stage (or fudge a detour over the river!) can get a temporary registration permit on line on the Vic Roads web site. Pay by credit card - why don't all states have this?

[Keith Webb]

Check with the RTA if you need more information.

[Keith Webb]

That of course covers New South Wales - there is also some info from VicRoads:

Unregistered Vehicle Permit

An unregistered vehicle permit (UVP) will allow you to drive an unregistered vehicle on a road for restricted use.

The permit does not allow:

1. A vehicle to be used between the hours of 7:00pm and 7:00am, except in the following circumstances -

where a vehicle is collected from the place of purchase to be driven to the residence of the owner or the garaged address nominated on the permit; or
single trip journeys where specified on the permit form;

2. A vehicle to be used to collect parts.

An unregistered vehicle permit is not a temporary registration. The vehicle must be safe for use on the road and used within the conditions of the permit.

An unregistered vehicle permit cannot be issued if:

the vehicle is currently under suspension
the vehicle is currently registered
there is an uncleared defect notice on the vehicle

Duration
An unregistered vehicle permit is normally issued for up to 28 days for vehicles. However, where VicRoads determines it is impractical or unreasonable to register the vehicle, a permit can be issued for a longer period.

Permits cannot be extended. If you require more time you will need to apply for a new permit.

Top of page

How to apply
You can apply for a permit by:

phone - calling VicRoads on 13 11 71 (Mon-Fri 8.30am - 5.00pm, Sat 8.30am - 2.00pm). You can pay by credit card (Visa or Mastercard). You will need access to a fax machine for the permit to be sent; OR
in person - visiting a VicRoads Customer Service Centre. You can pay by cash, cheque, EFTPOS or credit card (Visa or Mastercard).


You will need to provide:

Your personal details:

full name and address
vehicle's garage address
telephone number
fax number (if applying for permit over the phone)

Permit details:

start date and time
number of days required

Vehicle details:

year of manufacture
make
model
body type
colour
either the engine, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or chassis number
Top of page

Fees
The fee for an unregistered vehicle permit will vary depending on the number of days the permit is issued for, the type of vehicle and where it is garaged.

There are no fee concessions available for unregistered vehicle permits.

Interstate Use
Unregistered vehicle permits are generally issued for use in Victoria. However, under reciprocal arrangements, permits issued for interstate travel, eg. to go to a place of registration, are recognised by interstate authorities.

Permits do not need to be issued when the origin of a trip is in another jurisdiction, except in cases where another jurisdiction requests a permit to be issued.

[alexmacca30]

With regards to the permits, which for the event MUST be RTA permits issued in NSW and not Vic Roads permits. If you run with a Vic Roads Permit you can be charged.

The steps to take to obtain an RTA permit are as follows:

1/ Fill out the application form and either Fax, e-mail or Post the form to the Corowa RTA office. Please attach the poster/event flyer if you have it. If not they have one on file so ensure that you put a note in with your application to inform them that it is for the KVE annual GPA Swim-in/Military Vehicle event. This will ensure you are covered for the event.

2/ On arrival at Corowa go to the RTA office (it's in the council offices) and pay for and collect your permit and show your proof of ID (ie drivers Lic.).

For those that are arriving on the weekend we will attempt to make arrangements to collect your permits for you on the Friday. This is yet to be finalised. Please note, if you are going to arrive on the weekend you will have to fill in the application section of agent so that the person collecting permits can do so on your behalf

I also suggest that you photo copy your drivers Lic. however they may not accept this as proof of ID.

There is still a little to be sorted on this but we are making progress.

Alex

[Howard]

Originally Posted by Lang

Those with an ability to travel through Victoria at some stage (or fudge a detour over the river!) can get a temporary registration permit on line on the Vic Roads web site. Pay by credit card - why don't all states have this?

Because, Lang, we in NSW have the RTA.
You have never ever ever come across a collection of special people formulated by government specifically to cause as much grief to as many people drawn out over the longest possible period of time...
If you should make it to Corowa this or next year, I will be only too happy to tell you of my last two or three dealings with this amazing institution...
Dealing with this Authority causes this->

Wow folks, it's almost that time again!!! Amazing how time flies.

I hope you'll all have a great time at Corowa 2008 and that some of you will take lots of photos when there this year and post them and stories about the event/activities in here. I'm still so sorry to have missed out on last year but please know that I'll definately be there in spirit with all you folks!!!

Yappy!

[Lang]

Alex,

You really have been working hard to get the RTA system operational for us.

Those who are trailering/trucking their vehicles for Corowa area travel should thank you for your efforts.

Those driving from Qld,Vic or SA in their unregistered machines will have to have Temporary Permits from their departure state. I have driven all over Australia on Temporary Permits and have a number of times been checked by police (in another state) with no problems.

You will note on the RTA/Vic Roads etc web sites that they all say the temporary permit is for their state but that they are recognized by other states under reciprocal arrangements. They normally run for 28 days and have displays such as ours as one of the specific reasons for their existence.

I think there should be no problem with genuine travelers doing Corowa with Temporary Permits from their own state. If say, Queenslanders decided the Vic Roads permits are so quick and easy on line they got one and stuck it on their windscreen they are certainly asking for trouble.

I am not trying to upset your arrangements but I feel if people arrive with genuine Temporary Permits from their own state issued to travel to and from Corowa they won't get a hard time from NSW police. It should not be necessary to get an RTA permit to drive in official Corowa events on top of their home Corowa specified permits.

lang

[alexmacca30]

Gents and ladies,

What I have done is mainly for the AFVs which are tracked and therefore shouldn't be driven through other states.

If you are driving an unregistered wheeled vehicle, a permit from the state of departure is sufficient for the entire event.

I hope this clears things up. I have been mostly concentrating on the heavier side of things re the tanks which is what I have been referring to in previous posts. Those with unregistered wheeled vehicles I am sure you are all capable of handling the permit side on your own.

best of luck to those dealing with difficult departments.

NSW RTA at Corowa region is administered by Parks Department apparently....go figure that one out!!

[Ian Pullen]

Ladies and Gentlemen, the event is almost upon us and your committee is working hard to make this happen for you. At this stage, the accommodation is virtually booked out at the airfield but there are still a few sites left.

It is at this stage however I wish to remind everyone that the Airfield is only an annex to the event and is NOT taking over. I have spoken to the van park owners and they are happy with this. Remember we have to keep the big toys out of the main part of town.

Just to settle a few concerns that I have been fronted with. The Airfield DOES have showers and toilets despite what some have been told. For those who are staying at the Jump Shack there is even a swimming pool. The staff there are also cooking meals at reasonable prices. This includes breakfast, lunch & tea upon request.

Those who are hoping to bring pets though, I am sorry but state and Federal laws prevent animals at Airfields.

Any further questions can be forwarded to myself or the committee and we will be more than happy to dispel any rumours.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Murphy's Law....

I have a basic Corowa website good-to-go with all basic links necessary, but I'm getting an error trying to upload same to the server via FTP. I have opened a ticket with my people. Will advise progress soonest.

The backgrounds you see on COROWASWIM-IN.ORG currently will be permanent, but everything else I've done so far I can't yet load. In the meantime, sort through this subforum for what you need - I will let you all know when I'm good-to-go.

I'll miss all of you this year! Have one hell of a good time and take lots of pics! One way or another, I'll see you in '09... avoid Keefy's camera and don't let Border Raider Bob know where you live!

[Jan Thompson]

We will have a drink for you Geoff and look forward to seeing the website. When we see Keith's new DVD, where you feature widely, people will definitely have a few laughs.

One week to go and Maureen Bell and I yesterday completed participant packs and certificates for pre-registered people. If you haven't got your entry in yet send me an email or fax me your form. There is a large number of entries to date and many more will arrive during the week.

Alex has all issues regarding the road move under control and I received some positive feedback from the Army on Friday.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Jan Thompson

We will have a drink for you Geoff and look forward to seeing the website. When we see Keith's new DVD, where you feature widely, people will definitely have a few laughs.

Damn, not sure quite what to think about your last! Ah well, what the hell... push comes to shove, I'll make them pay for it in '09...

I'm still chasing down the host people on this, will advise soonest. I'll have an alternate setup with Keefy just in case they don't get this fixed until tomorrow day when I'm at work.

I would have like to have seen you lot this year, but next at least I'll be a little wiser! I can't say older, because I'm actually regressing....

[Jan Thompson]

There are many people to laugh about - not just you. There were a number of incidents that occurred last year and Keith was in the right place at the right time. One of these was with Bay Kelly - who should receive the award for the biggest burnout.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Just to let you know, they've cleared my problem and I've uploaded some stuff for http://www.corowaswim-in.org ... more to come!

Jif

Awesome looking!!! Great work G

[Ian Pullen]

Well ladies and gentlemen, Corowa has been approx 27-32 degrees Celsius for the past week and next week looks to be more of the same. The nights have been getting down to single digit temps though so some may want to pack a set of the flanellette PJs.
The nights are on the most side quite mild.
If we are lucky, we may even see a cloud, although it is doubtful of containing any rain.....

[Scrivo18]

Not many sleep's now!!

The rego requirements were dealt with yesterday, the tandem trailer was brought home and serviced, the jeep has been checked over, the Bren carrier is fuelled up and the Stuart just needs a wash, and Ohh 200 litres of Premium petrol!!
Monday being a long weekend in Victoria everything is going to get loaded, so hopefully the convey can leave here some time next Wednesday.


Tim