Volunteers face an uphill battle

Horsham Riding for the Disabled volunteers have vowed to find a way to raise enough money to operate the not-for-profit service following changes that require the group to pay more to use an arena they built.

Horsham branch president Alison Silcock said the group had successfully run the ‘Riverside Equestrian Centre’ indoor arena since 1996.

She said because the buildings were on government-owned land, they were required to be managed by Riverside Recreation Reserve committee.

“The reserve is on Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning land. With department land they appoint a committee to oversee the grounds, regardless of who has been operating on it,” she said.

“We built the indoor arena – it is purpose-built for RDA – and we’ve been operating here for more than 20 years.

“Then a new committee comes on and changes everything. We do feel a sense of injustice.

“We have a lot of people who have put in a lot of work here for years and years.”

Mrs Silcock said the group applied for a lease, which was denied by the new governing committee.

“We’re in the process of applying for a licence to operate on the grounds,” she said.

“We used to pay a $500 annual fee in recent years, as did all the clubs.

“With the new changes we have gone from paying $500 to having to pay $2000 a year.”

Mrs Silcock said the massive jump in cost posed a big problem for volunteers.

“Our volunteers use their own time to run the program and look after RDA horses,” she said.

“Now we have to pay $2000 a year to operate here.

“We don’t want to inflict the additional costs on our clients. They already have to pay insurance to be able to participate, so they are already contributing.

“We as volunteers are going to have to find a way to come up with the money.” “We do feel a sense of injustice. We have a lot of people who have put in a lot of work here for years and years”

Horsham RDA has about 40 volunteers.

“We’ve had about 50 clients in the past 12 months,” Mrs Silcock said.

“They range in age from young children to adults. We offer horse riding, baulking and carriage driving every Friday of the school term and every second Wednesday.”

Mrs Silcock said DELWP was in the process of appointing a new Riverside Recreation Committee.

She said the committee was responsible for a licence agreement for all user groups – including RDA, Horsham Pony Club, Horsham and District Equestrian Sports Club and Wimmera Equestrian Club.

“It has all been agreed upon, but it has to be signed off on by government departments,” she said.

“The changes will affect the other clubs, but not to the same degree.” Mrs Silcock said the RDA situation served as an example to other Wimmera organisations operating on government-owned land.

“It isn’t just RDA that is affected,” she said.

“This will affect any club that operates on government-owned land.

“I’m sure other clubs will get caught out the way we got caught out. We’re not alone here.”

DELWP land, planning and approvals regional manager Grant Hull said the Riverside Recreation Reserve was managed by a committee made up of representatives of the four equestrian user groups that used the reserve, including RDA.

“The committee is the legal manager of the reserve and all assets, and it is encouraged to work to support all reserve users,” he said.

Mr Hull said despite the long history of RDA on the reserve, DELWP understood there was never a formal agreement in place between the committee and the RDA about how the indoor arena was used and managed.”

He said DELWP recommended all committees of management had clear and binding agreements in place with all of their user groups.

“These should detail how the user groups can use the reserve, any conditions of that use, and what fees are payable by the user group to the committee,” he said.

“The Riverside Recreation Reserve Committee of Management recently voted to assume responsibility for the management of all facilities on the reserve, including the indoor arena, and to put licence agreements in place with all user groups.

“DELWP expects that once the user licences are in place, the roles and responsibilities of all users and the committee will be clear.”

Mr Hull said the current committee’s term expired in August this year.

“It is hoped that committee members will soon be appointed,” he said.

“In the interim, the existing committee will work co-operatively with all user groups in the interest of the local community.”

• For more, see page 15.

– Alison Silcock