At the last General Meeting of Access for All® held at the Araluen Hotel on 3rd November 2024 the following dates were proposed for 2025. Locations and final dates to be advised.

• Next General Meeting Sunday 30th March 2025 at the Cobargo Hotel at 10.00am

It was also decided that the preferred means of communication with members of Access for All would be by email (if known).

As a result would all members who have not paid their subscriptions please do so and to update your email address,  postage address and contact phone numbers please.

You may download a joining/renewal form HERE - thank you

Emails may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Our Peter Smith joined the group SOS “Save our Summits” as part of their series of short talks highlighting the injustice of summit, track, trail and crag closures across Australia. Many of you will recall the visit and talk by Marc Hendrickx from SOS to our recent AFA AGM

Peter discussed the access to bridle tracks in NSW High Country and work done by AFA to prevent more trail/track closures. Unfortunately there may have been technical issues in joining the virtual meeting "live" on March 18 2025.

More recently the YouTube Podcast of the meeting has been posted and can be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnG1V3Ljg9g

The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes and be loosely broken down into segments:

1. The first 2 minutes is the meeting getting going and introducing Peter Smith
2. From 2 to nearly 8 minutes is discussing the announcement of Wilderness areas in 1999 and the formation of AFA
3. From about 7 minutes 50 secs for the next 5 minutes, Peter Describes the numerous Bridle Tracks in SE NSW using slides of the different tracks
4. From 12 min 40 seconds approx Peter discusses what "Wilderness" is and its limitations.
5. At 14 minutes plus there are some pictures of various AFA meetings and work with politicans. Also the Trials of track use finding no damage.
6. From about 18 minutes the "New Management of NSWNP" is talked about
7. After a few images of families using some of the tracks Peter elaborates on the Legislation issues where it is proposed that all of the NSW NParks be handed over to indigenous peoples.
8. From about 25 minutes into the Podcast there is a discussion between the few (mainly SOS members) on the points raised by Peter. There is mention of a broader "Conference" being an action - possibly in Canberra.

At the last AGM of Access for All® and subsequent General Meeting held at Araluen on 27th August 2023 the following dates were proposed for 2024. Locations and final dates to be advised.

• April 28 2024Venue is the Braidwood Service Club at 10am. Approx 18 members attended.
• Sunday August 25 2024 10.00 am at the Braidwood Services Club.
  This is our AGM where Marc Hendrikx addressed the meeting with an assessment of the recent issue dealing with the transfer of management of our National Parks and in particular the happenings concerning the Mt Warning area. See PDF or article on our Issues page.
• The last General Meeting was on Sunday 3 November 2024 at the Araluen Hotel.
  An outcome of the meeting was that one of our members undertook to create a page on Facebook - see article
• Update - Facebook page has been created - thanks Wanda
• Minutes from the November 3 2024 have been emailed to Financial Members
• Next General Meeting 10am Sunday 30th March 2025 at the Cobargo Hotel

It was also decided that the preferred means of communication with members of Access for All would be by email (if known).

As a result would all members who have not paid their subscriptions please do so and to update your email address,  postage address and contact phone numbers please.

You may download a joining/renewal form HERE - thank you

Emails may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There has been little activity in the past 12 months in terms of regular meetings.

The new Executive has met in Braidwood on November 26 2023. They discussed many items but a key task was to update our Membership contact details. Several long standing members are financially outstanding and the committee should be reaching out to you. 

One key task is to improve our communications with perhaps more "newsletters". These may be quite short and our preference is to use emails as far as possible. The Executive touched on the status of the various Bridle Tracks.

The combined AGM and regular meeting was held on Sunday 27 August 2023 at 10am at the Araluen Pub.

Most existing committee members kindly volunteered for the next twelve months and we are pleased to welcome Hugh Hodgkinson as our new Secretary.

Dates for the 2024 General Meetings (locations TBC)were set as:

• April 28 2024 at the Braidwood Services Club at 10am.
  Note the previous advertized date would have been Easter Sunday
• June 30 2024
• Sunday August 25 2024 at 10am at the Braidwood Services Club. This will be the AGM.

It was also decided that the preferred means of communication with members of Access for All would be by email (if known).

As a result would all members who have not paid their subscriptions please do so and to update your email address,  postage address and contact phone numbers please.

Emails may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

At the last AGM and subsequent General Meeting of Access for All Inc® held at Araluen on 27th August 2023 the following dates were proposed for 2024. Locations to be advised.

• April 28 2024 - held at the Braidwood Services Club (approx 18 attended)
  You may download the 2024 Autumn Newsletter HERE
  
• Sunday August 25 2024 at 10am at the Braidwood Services Club.
  This is our AGM where Marc Hendrikx addressed the meeting with an assessment of the recent issue dealing with the transfer of management of our National Parks and in particular the happenings concerning the Mt Warning area. See PDF or article on our Issues page.
  
• The next General Meeting is scheduled for Sunday 3 November 2024 at the Araluen Hotel (10am)

It was also decided that the preferred means of communication with Access for All Association members would be by email (if known).

As a result would all members who have not paid their subscriptions please do so and to update your email address,  postage address and contact phone numbers please.

You may download a joining/renewal form HERE - thank you

Emails may be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The combined AGM and regular meeting was held on Sunday 27 August 2023 at 10am at the Araluen Pub.

Download a copy of the Meeting Notice. (RSVP details on the notice). Membership renewals will become due. See the Subscription Notice

An issue that will be discussed is the development of a proposal to hand more management of NSW National Parks to various Indigenous organizations.

As you may know, NSW politicians have long range plans to transfer ALL National Parks to Aboriginal ownership.  This represents 10% of the state!  The current document can be found on our website HERE

The Department of the Environment website has a page explaining the process
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/park-management/community-engagement/aboriginal-joint-management-model-consultation

The actual PDF document (5.5Mb) can be downloaded here:
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/Aboriginal-joint-management/aboriginal-joint-management-model-220300.pdf

Part of our Charter is to maintain ACCESS to our National Parks, and in the past AFA has worked hard to establish close relationships with senior National Parks’ personnel.

The prospect of loss of public ownership is causing dismay and concern amongst the few in the community who have become aware of these plans.  However, AFA has been successful in inviting a speaker to attend our AGM who has intimate knowledge of the state of play in government circles and has kindly agreed to speak to us and provide up-to-date information regarding ACCESS and MANAGEMENT

You are strongly urged to attend this information briefing, despite the short notice.  It is unclear what the ramifications will be, despite a continuing but subservient role for our friends in the NPWS.  Please come along, with any others who might be adversely affected.

Please download and read the Government Report HERE

Note there is a dedicated page on our website for this issue

The next meeting of Access for All will be held on December 1st 2019 at 10am at the Majors Creek Hall.

The recent meeting (July 28, 2019) was also our AGM and all committee members were returned. A good roll up heard about some excellent progress made and several "expeditions" by pack horse and by bushwalkers were reported.

It is hopeful that some new work will be started on historic tracks to the north of the Kings Highway.

The March 31 2019 meeting at the Braidwood Services Club saw a good turn up - mainly many of the original members of AFA. Some good news was discussed that followed many years of hard work.

Articles about the Heritage Bridle Tracks appeared in The Canberra Times (Saturday July 27 2019) "Riders rediscover remote tracks" by Tim The Yowie Man.

Also on the front page of the Moruya Examiner (July 21, 2019)

A report on reclaiming our Heritage Bridle Tracks by Peter Smith can be found HERE.

The 29 July 2018 AGM Meeting saw the return of the same office bearers as the previous year.

The 28 May 2017 meeting of AFA was held at Moruya Golf Club with 24 members in attendance.

The highlight of the meeting was in an email from Rob McKinnon of NPWS. The email outlined the progress so far in having the tracks through wilderness areas accessible to horse parties. It appears we are ‘on track’ but the final stages of the revised Plan of Management are yet to be completed. It was put forward by John Hindmarsh that the root of our problem is the Wilderness Act in NSW and we should aim to get that word out of Government policy.

On a sad note the meeting was informed of the passing of one of our own, Barry Webb. Barry will be sadly missed.

Access for All meetings are generally held on the 5th Sunday of the month which equates normally to about four meetings per year. The location varies but could be Braidwood, Araluen, Moruya, Cobargo, Queanbeyan, Bodalla, Tarago, Majors Creek or other locations to suit our membership.

• Next Meeting Sunday December 1st 2019 at 10am - Majors Creek Hall CANCELLED on Nov 29 2019
• Last Meeting was the AFA AGM and General Meeting 28 July 2019 at the Golf Club, Moruya.
  All committee positions were filled by the current members.

The discussion at the first 2015 meeting between Access for All (AFA) and National Parks covered a diverse range of topics including wild dogs, road damage by vehicles using the Dampier Fire Trail to Bendethera, defying the notice prohibiting trailers. It was noted that trailers are permitted access from the Moruya side to Bendethera.  AFA stated our support for NPWS policies in that regard.

There was discussion regarding suitable gating on the track leading from Back Creek to the Berlang Picnic Area and the Big Hole. Low barrier posts instead of gates become dangerous if covered by long grass and can cause major damage to unsuspecting vehicles. Tony Baxter agreed to look into the situation.

There was agreement that there would be track maintenance with NPWS and AFA on the Corn Trail on 12^th May followed by work on the Shoebridge Track in spring.

We were told that the monitoring of the bridle tracks was progressing well. The Shoebridge Track, W.D.Tarlinton Track and Georges Pack Track are being assessed according to the criteria set down. Park management could not see any problems arising and all was on track, so to speak for the trials to be finalised by the due time in April/May 2016. Hopefully this will result in continuing access by horse riders on these tracks passing through wilderness areas. 

The above images shows the members of Access for All  discussing the weed issues pertaining to our bush heritage.

The launch of "The Deua River Track" book written by Peter C Smith was well attended by the community as well as members from Access for All. It was held in Braidwood.

Many members of Access for All, National Parks and others with a connection to Bendethera made the trip down to this delightful location which was for a long period the home of the Georges family.

There were old maps and photographs bought by the numerous people with a history of Bendethera. Some snow covered the 4WD access tracks.

The above images shows the members of Access for All studying maps of the region and discussing the issues pertaining to our bush heritage.

The above images shows the members of Access for All  discussing the issues pertaining to our bush heritage.

The above images shows the members of Access for All studying maps of the region and discussing the issues pertaining to our bush heritage.