Annual Report 2012

Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation Inc.

Presented to members at the QORF Annual General Meeting,

Sports House, Milton, March 14th 2013

Ben Blanche, Wyaralong Night

2

Front Cover image ‘Under the Stars’ category; QPWS ‘It’s Better Outdoors’ Photography Competition

3

Mission

QORF’s purpose is to raise the profile, and develop capacity and opportunity for out-door recreation in Queensland. This is done through representation of members and member groups, promotion of mem-bers and outdoor activities, advocacy with

government and land/water managers, and education of members and the community.

QORF’s Values

The Queensland Outdoor Recreation Fed-eration encourages the opportunity for all people to recreate outdoors and values:

The Natural Environment

For its multiple intrinsic values including ecological, geological, physical, cultural, heritage and as a space for outdoor ac-tivities to occur.

Diversity

Of places, activities, experiences and people.

Access

To land and water that is relevant to outdoor activities and proximal to all.

Sustainability

Of the outdoor sector and of the envi-ronment.

Professionalism

As demonstrated through our actions and interactions with others.

Relationships

Positive interactions with our stakehold-ers and with the environment.

The Outdoor Community

QORF was established to be the peak body

representing the interests of the outdoor

community in Queensland. To be inclusive,

the outdoor community refers to all those

interacting with the outdoor environment to

conduct outdoor recreation activities, as

well as those utilising nature based space

or activity for the purposes of education,

tourism, personal or team development,

adventure based therapy, or other related,

proactive outcomes.

Subsequently, QORF represents the opin-

ions and needs of diverse members, and its

role is to ensure those divergent needs are

all considered.

Objectives of QORF

To represent the views and needs of the

outdoor community to other industries

and all levels of government;

To facilitate communication between

stakeholders within the outdoor commu-

nity and external interest groups;

To raise awareness of the value and

benefits of participation in outdoor activi-

ties;

To develop strategies and actions on key

issues affecting participation in outdoor

activities, and to work with government in

doing so;

To encourage and facilitate protection of

the full diversity of Outdoor Recreation

settings;

To identify and communicate the needs

of the outdoor community and facilitate

access to natural resources that meet

those needs;

To encourage planning and manage-

ment for ecologically sustainable outdoor

activities;

To promote safety and quality experienc-

es within the outdoor community;

To encourage organisational develop-

ment to enhance the delivery of services

that are appropriate, equitable and of a

high standard;

WHO WE ARE

4

To promote best practice in the standard

and quality of leadership and instruction

through the support of quality training;

To promote the Queensland Outdoor

Recreation Federation Inc and its objec-

tives.

Introduction

This Annual Report and Accounts are for the

period January 1st 2012 to December 31st

2012. The document is prepared for the

Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation

Incorporated (QORF). QORF is the peak

body representing the interests of the out-

door community in Queensland. Members

of QORF include:

state activity associations (e.g. Queens-land Canoeing, Bicycle Qld, Dive Qld);

state not-for-profit community organisa-tions (e.g. Boys Brigade, Scouts Qld);

state interest groups and professional as-sociations (e.g. Outdoor Educators’ Asso-ciation of Qld);

commercial operators of education and recreation programs;

local governments;

educational establishments (schools, TAFE’s, Universities);

sport and recreation, and outdoor educa-tion centres; and

individuals.

Therefore, QORF represents the interests of: club based outdoor recreation;

not for profit community organisations;

centre or facility-based outdoor education and outdoor recreation;

commercial operators;

independent recreation participants;

school and tertiary outdoor educators.

Support

The operations of QORF were made pos-sible during 2012 through the support pro-vided by the Queensland State Govern-ment Department of National Parks, Rec-reation, Sport and Racing.

Association Governance

The affairs of the Association are adminis-

tered by a Management Committee elect-

ed from the Ordinary and Associate Mem-

ber categories, and may include up to two

co-opted members. The role of the Man-

agement Committee is to oversee the or-

ganisation within the approved budget and

in accordance with QORF’s stated objec-

tives, rules, policies and procedures. The

Management Committee’s job is to govern

the organisation.

2012 Management Committee Members: Andrew Boyle - President

Ian Heath - Vice President

Joanna Robey - Treasurer

Anne Wilson - Secretary

Hyanho Moser

Mark Thurgood

Dale Byrne

Helen Whelan - coopted

Phil Scott - coopted

QORF Staff

Donna Little - Chief Executive

Mark Squires - Industry Development

Ben Rothwell - Projects & NOLRS

Ann Despott - Administration

Alana Thomson - Projects (casual)

Carly Thompson - Projects (part time)

5

Membership

There are three categories of membership of

the federation:

Ordinary membership is open to organisa-

tions, councils, collectives or associations

that represent a significant portion of the in-

dustry (or a selective component of the in-

dustry) in Queensland.

Associate membership is open to individu-

als, interest groups, associations, compa-

nies or registered businesses which do not

represent a significant proportion of the in-

dustry in Qld but who are involved and /or

interested in the outdoor recreation industry.

Life membership is conferred upon individu-

als who have rendered distinguished service

to the Association and/or to the wider out-

door recreation community in Queensland. A

resolution must be passed by a majority of

voting members at a General Meeting to be-

stow life membership.

2012 Ordinary Members

Adventist Outdoors

Australian Caravan Club Ltd

Australian Climbing Association (QLD) Inc

Australian Rafting Federation INC.

Australian Trail Horse Riders Association

Bicycle Queensland

Bushwalking Queensland Inc

Dive Queensland

Four Wheel Drive Queensland

Girl Guides Queensland

Model Aeronautical Association Of Queens-

land Inc

Motorcycling Queensland

Orienteering Queensland

Outdoor Educators' Association Of Queens-

land

PCYC Queensland - Bornhoffen

Queensland Canoeing Inc.

Queensland Dragon Boat Federation

Queensland Endurance Riders Association

Queensland Horse Council

Queensland Rogaine Association

Scouts Queensland

FSR Skills Alliance

The Bicentennial National Trail Ltd

The Boys' Brigade Queeensland

The Duke Of Edinburgh's Award

Trail Running Association Of Queensland

Triathlon Queensland

YMCA Of Brisbane

2012 Associate Members

Activity and Tour Providers

Adrenalin Climbing Gym

Adventure Alternatives

Beach And Bush Tours Pty Ltd

Bike On Australia

Bushranger Bikes Tours

Clarence River Canoes

Elanda Point Canoe Company Plus

Equathon Horse Riding

Horizon Guides

In2Adventure

Oxfam Trailwalker Brisbane

Ozball Pty Ltd

Paramount Adventure Centre

Phoenix Adventure

Pinnacle Sports

Riverlife Adventure Centre

Slackline Australia Pty Ltd

Snorkel Safari Brisbane

Sports Tuition Pty Ltd

Synergy Applied Adventure

Tailwind Promotions

Tait's Wongabel Stables

Total Adventures

Two Wheel Promotions

Urban Climb

Vertec Adventure

Wilderness Expeditions

Campsites, Outdoor Education and/or

Conference Centres

Alexandra Park Conference Centre

Apex Camp Mudjimba

Camp Moogerah

Camp Somerset

Christian Youth Camps Burleigh Heads

Echo Adventure & Cultural Camp

6

Individuals

Alana Thomson Dan Rush Dave Batt David George Thomas Edward Qian Experience Altitude Jan Scudamore Jennifer Wallace Jo Robey Marie Patamise Sandra Hearnden Scott Shearer Not for Profit Clubs/Associations

Brisbane Parkour Association Communify FNQuadriders Inc. Gap Creek Trails Alliance Mary Valley Country Melanoma Awareness Foundation Tableland Outdoor Recreation Association The Spot Community Services Tinaroo Canoe Club Toyota Landcruiser Club (Qld) Inc. Outdoor Training Providers

4WDrive Training Solutions Asset Training Australia Bush Lore Australia Go Ride A Wave P/L Griffith University Horseridingcoach.com Outdoor Training College P7Offroad Pty Ltd Rescue Training Group Pty Ltd Roadie Rob's Bicycle School Sunshine Coast TAFE The Outlook Training & Resource Centre Tropical North Queensland TAFE Outdoor Retreats and Resorts

Mount Barney Lodge Retailers/Suppliers

Catering By Delicious K2 Kickbike Australia Merino Country Outdoor Link Red Rock Adventure Products

Edmund Park Adventure Education

Emu Gully Adventure Education Group Inc

Higher Ground Australia Inc.

Ironbark Outdoor Education Centre

Kinchant Outdoor Education Centre

Kindilan Outdoor Education And Conference

Centre

Kokoda Challenge

Kroombit Park

Lions Camp Duckadang

Luther Heights Youth Camp

Maroon Outdoor Education Centre

Midginbil Hill Outdoor Education Centre

Organised Conferences

Outward Bound @ Inter-Action

QCCC Mapleton

Tallebudgera Beach Outdoor Education

School

Wildeco At Ewen Maddock Dam

Consultants/Ancillary Organisations

Co-Efficient

Evolve ... Keeping Kids On Track

John Wood Consultancy Services

Momentum (QLD) Pty Ltd

Montrose Access

OAMPS Insurance Brokers

Plato Enterprises T/a HMT Consulting

Project Nature-Ed

ROSS Planning Pty Ltd

Government Agencies

Brisbane City Council

Bundaberg Regional Council

Department Of National Parks, Recreation,

Sport & Racing

Fraser Coast Regional Council

Gold Coast City Council

Gympie Regional Council

Logan City Council

North Burnett Regional Council

Redland City Council

South Burnett Regional Council

Sunshine Coast Regional Council

Toowoomba Regional Council

7

Schools and School Program Providers

Anglican Church Grammar School Ballon Outdoor Education Centre Bowen State High School Bremer State High School Brisbane Bayside State College Brisbane Boys' College Brisbane Girls Grammar School Brisbane Grammar School Outdoor Centre Cooloola Christian College Googa Outdoor Education Centre Gregory Terrace Outdoor Education Centre Hillbrook Anglican School Ignatius Park College Iona College Pacific Lutheran College Padua College The Cathedral School The Gap State High School The Rockhampton Grammar School Youth+

Life Member

Kathy Kingsford Robin Simson Brian Kross

President’s Report

In 2012 the QORF team continued to deliv-

er across a range of areas for the outdoor

sector in Queensland. The team comprised

of the core of Donna, Mark, Ben, Alana;

and Ann, who joined the team in April. All

contributed greatly to the ongoing success

of QORF.

The Management Committee this year saw

the addition of Dale Byrne who replaced

Eric Newmann. Dales experience in the

Dive industry has added to the diversity of

perspectives on the management commit-

tee.

What has QORF been up to?

Over the past 12 months QORF has contin-

ued its role of advocacy for the outdoor in-

dustry with continued contribution to issues

such as land and water access and train-

ing. QORF’s profile has continued to grow

and membership has steadily risen. Our

representation is requested on diverse rele-

vant committees and forums, and we have

engaged with groups throughout the state.

Working with the FSR Skills Alliance, we

have made some progress in terms of rais-

ing the training needs of our sector with

State Government and have seen a posi-

tive response from industry in the uptake of

Productivity Places Program and the Stra-

tegic Investment Fund. Although there is

more to be done in all these spaces, QORF

is making inroads with these important is-

sues.

This year also saw a change of govern-

ment. As a consequence a number of chal-

lenges and opportunities have opened up.

The merging of Sport and Recreation Ser-

vices and QPWS into the Department of

National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Rac-

ing has meant that a number of old net-

works and resources have disappeared but

new, different ones have replaced them.

QORF is working hard to ensure that Out-

door Recreation is seen as an important

part of Queensland life within these new

structures.

The QORF Awards Dinner was again a

great success with 160 people attending.

The photography competition this year saw

an increase in the number of photo’s sub-

mitted and the quality of the photos in 2012

was outstanding. This competition has be-

come a regular feature of the Awards din-

ner and both QORF and the Qld Parks and

Wildlife Service who sponsor the prizes for

this competition really appreciate the photo-

graphic contributions that are made.

WHAT WE DO

8

In 2012, we expanded “The Visioning the

Outdoors” film night to include a Film com-

petition. It has been amazing to see how

quickly and wholeheartedly people have

embraced this event and how well it has

been received. It has, and will continue, to

give the wider outdoor community a real

sense of the diverse and eclectic nature of

outdoor recreation in Queensland and why

it is so important to so many people.

It is also important to note that QORF has

continued the administration of the NOLRS.

We don’t dictate what is included in this

service, nor do we set policy. We have

made a commitment to administer this reg-

istration scheme and are continuing to have

active involvement in the review and im-

provement of the registration system pro-

cess with the Outdoor Council of Australia

to try and make this a more credible and

accessible system. QORF has also contrib-

uted to the continuous improvement of the

National Training Package and is keeping

abreast of developments in the national ed-

ucation curriculum and its impacts on out-

door education.

Andrew Boyle

President

Secretary’s Report

Being a secretary of an association which

has enthusiastic, dedicated paid staff mem-

bers makes the job of being secretary very,

very easy. The QORF staff work together

as a team and take care of all the corre-

spondence, updating the web page/

facebook /memberships, co-ordinating

events, preparing of committee meeting

agendas, distribution of industry information

etc. In other associations these types of

tasks fall onto the shoulders of volunteers.

It is a credit to all members and staff that

QORF is in a position to be able to employ

both full time and part time staff.

QORF committee members volunteer their

time to attend regular meetings to ensure

the organisation remains on target to

achieve its mission, financially viable, and

respected by government, the community

and industry.

The management committee (MC) has had

a busy year to keep up with the progress

staff have made towards achieving QORF’s

mission to raise the profile, and develop

capacity and opportunity for outdoor recre-

ation in Queensland. The projects, pro-

grams and advocacy roles undertaken

throughout the year are clearly outlined for

all members in the monthly newsletters.

The scope of work being undertaken by

QORF extends beyond the knowledge and

expertise of any one committee member

and thus it is fortunate the MC is comprised

of a mix of people from varied back-

grounds. It is important the MC continues to

receive input from a range of people experi-

enced in the provision and development of

outdoor recreation both privately and from

within government. Thus I would encourage

all QORF members to consider being in-

volved and to nominate for a position on

the MC at some point of time.

It is with pleasure on behalf of all QORF

members I take this opportunity to say

“Thank You” to the staff namely Donna Lit-

tle, Mark Squires, Alana Thomson, Ben

Rothwell and Ann Despott, and to the

QORF MC members, Andrew Boyle, Ian

Heath, Jo Robey, Hyahno Moser, Phil

Scott, Mark Thurgood, Helen Whelan and

Dale Byrne.

Anne Wilson

Secretary

9

Chief Executive Officers Report

As 2012 came to an end I reflected on the

achievements of the outdoor sector. This

was wider than a review of what occurred

for, or through, QORF in 2012, and was an

active consideration of where the sector lies

in the public consciousness; and how well

we function as a whole, and not just as vari-

ous parts. In many ways it was a good time

for these ponderings as 2012 had again pro-

vided substantive changes for Queensland

including:

a change of state government;

reduced budget/ funding opportunities

available through Federal, State and Lo-

cal Governments and agencies;

the loss of green infrastructure planners

and preventative health officers within

government;

the development of the National Curricu-

lum with outdoor recreation and educa-

tion identified only through the Health

and Physical Education curriculum;

the loss of Tropical North Institute of

TAFE as a provider of training for the out-

door sector;

the gain of recognition of the relevance of

outdoor activities as viable experiences

within the Protected Area Estate;

Qld Government acknowledgement of

the inherent value of outdoor activities

and programs in the lives of Queens-

landers;

The re-establishment of the word ‘recreation’ in a government department title; … and so on.

There are many things that impact on our

sector - weather, money, intent, free time,

access, training, educational imperatives,

social recognition, costs of transport, per-

ceptions of risk, compliance expectations

and political willingness to name a few. Not

all of these can be controlled by us, but we

can influence the majority - and we can act

to uphold excellence of service and engage-

ment regardless of the external context.

With that in mind I believe our sector

needs to remain true to its intent and con-

tinue to deliver and promote the wonderful

benefits of what we do and where we go.

We need to remind ourselves and others

that by being involved in outdoor activities,

individuals can:

Engage all our senses;

Find time and space for unstructured

play (not everything in life needs to be

framed as remediation or fitness);

Value and recognise the importance of

the natural environment – and the vari-

ous, constructed iterations of nature

that we find in more urban spaces;

Belong – with our friends, family,

peers, nature, self;

Be challenged and grow;

Build our resilience as well as our

physical, emotional, interpersonal, spir-

itual and mental selves;

Take a break from the everyday;

Learn to communicate better, take re-

sponsibility and live with the conse-

quences of our actions and choices;

Be inspired and in awe; be more inter-

ested in life, our world, others;

Learn better;

Live happier.

In 2013, QORF will focus on how we can

assist our sector – the recreational groups

and individuals, the outdoor educators, the

eco and adventure tourism providers, the

camps, commercial operators, not for prof-

it providers, trainers and youth developers

– to understand its strengths and sing its

shared praises. We will look back a little,

but importantly we will strive to look for-

ward and find ways to work together,

share and be a cohesive whole. We will

encourage you to remind others that while

the ‘mountains can speak for themselves’,

sometimes they speak more loudly and

have more to say when they are experi-

enced within a good program, with a great

group of people, through an effective

10

event and/ or as an outcome of a compre-

hensive school based curriculum that helps

the individual through the journey.

Advocacy

We do a lot of this.

Sometimes we do it rather silently and for-

get to tell you how diligent we have been.

Often we ask for your input and assistance.

Sometimes we take an opportunity as it is

presented and act to the best of our ability

to represent your shared, and at times indi-

vidual, interests.

In 2012, we worked with key stakeholders

to raise the profile of the sector; to promote

our need for resources of place and space;

to support the development of policy and

infrastructure, signage and maintenance of

recreational trails; and to highlight the ben-

efits of learning outside the classroom, out-

door education, school camps and the vari-

ety experiential opportunities that kids

should have the chance to be involved in.

We lobbied for meaningful research so de-

cisions and policy can be informed by rigor-

ous data; we searched for solutions to the

constrictions that come when many people

are squeezed into small places and begin

to forget the benefits of connecting with the

natural world; and we lobbied to hold on to

training opportunities for outdoor leaders, to

improve the quality, quantity and consisten-

cy of that training and to improve the under-

lying resource of the National Training

Package for Outdoor Recreation.

We have some wins in this space. Increas-

ingly there is a bipartisan understanding

that outdoor recreation is valued in our

community – but we still need to bring it to

the forefront of decision making and have a

coordinated approach. Both the Minister

and Director General of National Parks,

Recreation, Sport and Racing (NPRSR)

have expressed their support for encourag-

ing people to be engaged in outdoor activi-

ties and are seeking solutions to enable

this process. In 2012 this led to the estab-

lishment of NPRSR DG Forums with activi-

ty representatives of our sector. This for-

malised opportunity for increased commu-

nications can take us farther down the path

of available space, coordinated access for

outdoor recreation and additional opportu-

nities and promotions.

In addition we continue to deliver Parks fo-

rums with QPWS both in Cairns and Bris-

bane; run a MTB Forum that includes in-

dustry, local council and state government

representatives; formally respond to gov-

ernment proposals that impact on our sec-

tor; organize events that raise the public

profile of outdoor activities and resources

(see below); contribute to discussions and

planning at local government level for out-

door recreation developments; deliver

presentations to groups, organisations and

stakeholders on the wider outdoor sector;

represent trail horse riders in some of their

engagements with Government; and lobby

for the Duke of Edinburgh program and the

volunteers who run the adventurous jour-

neys.

Importantly, 2012 also saw us initiate and

release a desk top study of the Value of

Outdoor Recreation for Queensland. This

work was done by Synergies Economics in

association with QORF, and was enabled

through the financial support of the

Queensland Government. It shows that out-

door recreation is very conservatively worth

$2Billion per year to the state; that outdoor

activities contribute strongly to avoided

health costs; and that there are numerous

qualitative benefits from participation, in-

cluding enhanced social capital. It also re-

affirms the lack of substantive quantifiable

data on which to measure our contributions

and reminds the reader that our qualitative

11

worth is equally as valuable to the state and

that the way we are ‘measured’ needs to be

more expansive than fiscally.

Events/ Engagement

We have a goal of encouraging meaningful

public engagement events and promotions

for our sector. The rationale behind this is

that as a whole we gain greater credibility

and visibility through having community

awareness and participation.

In addition to our existing initiatives of Active

Outdoors Expo and the QPWS ‘It’s Better

Outdoors’ Photography Competition, in 2012

we successfully introduced two new pro-

grams. These were Visioning the Outdoors –

a short film competition that profiles outdoor

activities, experiences, organisations and/ or

stories; and Outdoor-tober, a social aware-

ness campaign that implores everyone to

get outdoors in the month of October (at

least) and appreciate the opportunities that

exist throughout the state.

Each of these activities will be running again

in 2013 and we would encourage you to find

ways to be involved. This might mean that

you lodge your activity details on the Out-

door-tober calendar inviting others to partici-

pate in an event; or you share what YOU will

personally be doing in that month to get out-

doors and active.

In 2012 we found that each of these events

touched someone new and there were mo-

ments of epiphany as members of the public

expressed their surprise at the range of out-

door opportunities available to them, or were

disappointed that the experiences they, or

their children, had in their school years were

not being replicated for children of today.

Every time we share our messages, there is

the chance to encourage someone else to

join in, to care about outdoor spaces, to

get their school involved in outdoor learn-

ing or to just get outdoors in their local en-

vironment or on their holiday.

QORF Staff

Effective delivery of service comes down

to the people who are the frontline of en-

gagement. For QORF, that means the

staff of our organisation, and each of them

has worked tirelessly throughout 2012 to

deliver services to our sector and stake-

holders. While we experienced some

change in personnel, what has been con-

sistent is the passion, commitment and

drive of individuals to offer quality of inter-

actions and to make a difference. With

that in mind, I would like to sincerely

acknowledge the contributions of the

QORF Staff:

Mark Squires, Industry Development,

Website Management and all round ‘go

to’ guy;

Ben Rothwell, Project Officer, NOLRS

Administrator and passionate seeker of

solutions;

Alana Thomson, Project Officer, Event

Coordinator (Visioning), Communica-

tions maestro – will masterfully give

anything a go; and

Ann Despott, Administration Officer/

Saviour and staff support – the one who

is always cheerful on the end of the

phone line.

In addition to these people, our office is

strengthened by the assistance of others

who contribute on an occasional basis,

complete specific tasks, help us under-

stand how to do some things better and

generally help out. I am hesitant to name

these people for fear of missing some out,

but in particular I would like to thank our

12

occasional QORF employees and support-

ers – Carly Thompson (graphics and de-

sign); Helen Whelan (accounting); Lachlan

Ryan (Element Video Production); and An-

drew Graham (recreational trail master).

In addition, I thank our QORF Life Mem-

bers who support not only the sector but

also the Federation; and the QORF Man-

agement Committee, who are there to rep-

resent the sectors interests and to guide

the Federation in its actions and choices. If

you aren’t aware of these people, engage

with them. They are another voice and

communication channel for you, across a

range of environments.

Other Engagement

QORF maintains membership of the Out-

door Council of Australia (OCA) and carries

out secretariat functions for this organiza-

tion. In addition we administer the National

Outdoor Leader Registration Scheme

(NOLRS). In 2012 I continued as a board

member of the OCA in the role of Vice

President and have been working with Ser-

vice Skills Australia to ensure further na-

tional outdoor sector surveys that can help

record our workforce issues. I am also on

the board of the Fitness, Sport and Recrea-

tion Skills Alliance with whom QORF also

officially engages to secure sector relevant

opportunities for subsidised training.

A Final Word

I realise that across our sector there are

different reasons why you are involved, dif-

ferent services you provide, and different

programs that you run. But I believe that we

share an interest and concern that people

are increasingly less likely to be experienc-

ing nature in positive ways; that there is a

need to reconnect children, families and

communities with nature based areas and

pursuits; and that the removal of incentive,

opportunity and expectation to get outdoors

leads not only to a loss of the innocence

that comes with unstructured nature based

play (for young and old), but to a depletion

in our health and our capacity to value a

freedom to roam, the time to just be, and/

or the invigoration of adventurous explora-

tion and challenge.

Your involvement with QORF helps us to

promote this message, and we thank you

for your support, engagement and contribu-

tions.

Donna E. Little

Chief Executive Officer

Meetings

QORF staff attended or facilitated the fol-

lowing meetings in 2012:

Access Related

BVRT & BIT development

Mountain Bike Forums

Strategic Trails Design and Planning

Regional Landscape and Open Space

Advisory Committee (RLOSAC)

DLGP Updates

Sunshine Coast Great Ride Project

BCC, Kangaroo Point lighting upgrades

National Mountain Bike Championships

Slacklining in Brisbane city

QTIC, synergies between tourism and

greenspace requirements

NPRSR & the Nature Conservation Act

SEQ Outdoor Recreation Strategy

QPWS, mountain bike trails

SUMMARY OF 2012 ACTIVITIES

13

Conferences, Forums &

Workshops

National Outdoor Education Confer-

ence

Sport and Rec Jobs Plan Conference

AABAT conference

Urban Research Seminar

Skills Alliance Conference

Parks Outdoor Recreation Forums

Marketing & Media

Olympic promotion

Outdoor-tober Logo

Lendlease

QORF & Brisbane Marketing

Parkour

Womensport Qld Media Training

Marketing and Sponsorship Workshop

Marketing - Avant Card

Member Liaison and Updates

OEAQ , Opportunities, Cairns

Adventists Outdoors, Risk Manage-

ment

Tallebudgera Beach School, Outdoor-

tober

Tropical North Institute of TAFE (TNIT)

Various members at the Parks Out-

door Recreation Forums

Griffith University, OD Overview

FSR Skills Alliance, Training

Emu Gully, NOLRS and Outdoor Is-

sues

MTB Forum

Scouts Queensland, Strategy

Experience Altitude, access

Duke of Edinburgh, training Issues

CYC Burleigh , Business Development

Paramount Adventure Centre, Training

PCYC, Partners in Sport and Recrea-

tion Breakfast

Slacklining Queensland, access

Communify, Active Outdoors Expo op-

portunities

Bicycle Qld, promotion of 9 day ride

Dept of Education, training options

TNIT , farewell to TNIT outdoor program

staff

Trinity Anglican School, training

MTB on the Tablelands

Kindilan OEC, Guides and ARC's

Canoeing Queensland

Miscellaneous

QTIC Breakfast

Wordpress Training

Skills Alliance Board Meetings

Good Practice Framework for Youth De-

velopment Launch, Surf Life Saving Qld

Sunsmart Outdoors, Cancer Council

Kx Management System

MYOB Training

Sport Awards, QSport

National Meetings

National Outdoor Sector Survey

OCA (various)

Outward Bound

SIS10

PLA update

International Conference 2017

NOLRS

NOLRS subcommittee / technical work-

ing groups

Online Databases - NOLRS/OCA

Projects

BVRT Report

BVRT Community Grant programme

ASC Multicultural Youth Partnership

Grant

West Wide Bay Burnett Trails Audit

QORF Events

Visioning the Outdoors

Griffith University student design project

Outdoor-tober

Banff Adventure Film Festival

QORF & LGAQ updates

14

Outdoor-tober Launch

Active Outdoors Expo

Schonell Cinema debrief and planning

2013

Outdoor Recreation Awards Night

QSFT film workshop, EcoFlicks

Research

Phase 0 Workshop - recreation, sport

and the arts

Outdoor Sector Research

Synergy Economics, Economic Value

NOSS Development

Griffith University research possibilities

WILS project

Issues and Trends Outdoor Recreation

GBRMP Research

ICC Recreation Management Strategy

Sport & Recreation, NPRSR

ARC review

Tallebudgera Active Recreation Centre

Strategic Thinking

Qld Gov’t Website

Draft National Curriculum

Meetings with DG NPRSR

Horse riding in PAE, DG NPRSR

Post Budget Update

Get in the Game

Progressing DG Forums

Quarterly meetings A/DDG SRS

Standards & Training

Bushwalking Qld Qualifications

RPL Sessions

Teaching and Learning Network

PCYC Dukes Training Needs

Training for Sector

Duke of Edinburgh training

NOLRS & Training

Paddling Skill Sets, Queensland canoe-

ing

Private RTOs & partnerships with RTOs

Training for the Outdoor Sector

SIS10 Continuous Improvement

NOLRS Roping TWG

NOLRS Aquatic TWG

Skills Alliance Workforce Development

Strategic Planning

FieldWorx, Recreation update

Ministers Office, Min Reeves

Fiscal Value of Outdoor Recreation

QORF & SEQ Catchments

QSport, Strategic Thinking

RLOSAC

Outdoor Recreation and SEQ COM

NPAQ - future grwowth

Issues Outdoor Recreation

Minister Communities Breakfast

Skills Alliance Planning Meeting

Trails planning

NPAQ Updates & Developments

Mackay Tourism- Events

Visioning Sponsorship

Workshops

QORF hosted the following workshops, forums and meetings in 2012:

Industry Information Forum - WHS 2 Parks Outdoor Forums - Brisbane 2 Parks Outdoor Forums - Cairns Mountain Bike Forums

QORF staff attended the following work-

shops, expos and launches:

Motivational Interviewing, Heart Foun-

dation

Risk Management Forum

WBBSRS Forum, WBBROC

Climate Convergence Round Table,

UQ

HPE in Australian Schooling, UQ Hu-

man Movement Studies

Tourism Roundtable, SEQCOM Re-

gional

Education Resources Expo

OXFAM Trailwalker Volunteers

RV Futures Forum

Get in the Game

Queensland Canoeing Awards

15

Conferences

QORF staff attended the following confer-

ences:

National Outdoor Education Conference AABAT Forum FSR Skills Alliance Conference Regional Tourism Roundtable

Other Services

Outdoor EXPO – October 2012 Letters of support for member organisa-

tions 2012 Wall Planner Sale of publications/conference pro-

ceedings relevant to outdoor recreation Regular e-newsletters and bulletins Ongoing development and updated in-

formation for the QORF Website Outdoor recreation consultation services Queensland Outdoor Recreation Awards

2012 QPWS It’s Better Outdoors Photo Com-

petition Inaugural Outdoor-tober 2012 Ongoing book sales through Online

Bookshop

Events

Visioning the Outdoors

Expanding on our film night from 2011,

2012 saw the introduction of ‘Visioning’ as

a short film competition. Thirty films were

submitted across the categories of Open,

Youth and Mobile Minute, with the winning

films, along with films of interest—and

QORF’s own Short Film ‘Live Outdoors’ -

shown at our Screening and Awards Night

on August 29th. This event held at the

Schonell Theatre, saw more than 150 peo-

ple come along to enjoy the films. Those

who couldn’t attend the night could still vote

for the People’s Choice Film; and all the

films are loaded on our YouTube channel -

QORFTV.

Winner - 3 Minute Youth: Bella the Super-

Dog - Amber Grant (12 yrs) from Buder-

im. Prizes: $300 cash (QORF), $300

voucher (Footgear), Oakley sunglasses

(OPSM).

Winner – 3 Minute Open: Connect - Roy

Devine from Cedar Creek. Prizes: $800

cash (QORF), $300 voucher (Footgear),

Oakley sunglasses (OPSM).

Highly Commended – 3 Minute Open:

The Ride - Corey Walker from Clear

Mountain. Prize: $250 cash (QORF).

SEQ Catchments Mobile Minute Winner:

Kangaroo Point Spaceline - Ugo Capoz-

zoli from South Brisbane. Prize: $250

cash (SEQ Catchments).

Commended SEQ Catchments Mobile

Minute: Mobile Minute Outdoors - 5th

Townsville Girl Guides Prize: $100

cash (SEQ Catchments).

People’s Choice Award: Maria Auditore,

Reigan Griffiths, Karen Kempster and

Karly Radford, of 5th Townsville Girl

Guides with 664 votes. Prizes: Cash

(QORF), Optimus Crux Lite stove.

(Paddy Pallin – Fortitude Valley).

Corey Walker, Ugo Capozzoli, Amber Grant, Roy Devine

16

And a big thanks to our Visioning the Out-

doors sponsors

Active Outdoors Expo Held on October 6th at Bayside Park, Man-ly this was our largest Expo to date with 37 exhibitors, 16 activities for the public to try, 3 food vendors, a Smoothie Cycle and a coffee stand. Globetrekker, Redlands Kayak Tours and Tangalooma Island Resort all donated great raffle prizes which were drawn throughout the day.

This was a great day, with fine weather and fair seas - we just need more people to come along and be part of the fun.

Outdoor-tober 2012 saw us introduce a social awareness campaign called Outdoor-tober. Designed as a state wide reminder to that winter is over, major sporting commitments have just finished, and it’s great to get out-doors, Outdoor-tober has a dedicated web-

site where outdoor providers and land and water managers can let everyone know what they can be part of in the month of October. Launched by the Minister for National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing, Steve Dickson, who abseiled off Kangaroo Point cliffs with us early one morning, the annual event offers a great chance for us all to pro-mote what we do - and encourage more people to come along and have a try at get-ting active outdoors. Put your activities in the 2013 calendar now!

The Queensland Outdoor Recreation Awards Dinner 2012

Held at the Greek Club in West End, Bris-

bane 160 guests celebrat-

ed the achievements of

the individuals and organi-

sations nominated in the

eight award categories.

Our guest speaker this

year was John Cantor who

entertained the audience

with a description of his 2012 solo traverse

of the Brookes Range in Alaska. John is

also the first recipient of QORF’s Qld

Young Adventurer scholarship and an

Minister Steve Dickson at Kangaroo Point

17

The Brisbane City Council, Outstanding

Achievement Award (Organisation).

Scouts Australia Institute of Training and

Adventure Alternatives.

The Scouts Australia Institute of Training

(SAIT) is a registered training organisation

that provides accredited courses in leader-

ship to youth and adult members of Scouts

Australia and as part of a strong commit-

ment to increasing quality outdoor activity

training.

Adventure Alternatives is a private fully self-

funded outdoor education facility that has

established a thriving business in just 5

years. Adventure Alternatives connects par-

ticipants with nature, enabling people to en-

gage with their surroundings and giving real

life experiences.

The K2 Basecamp Encouragement

Award.

Awarded to Nathan Sears, a Venturer Scout

from Capalaba who has earned the Australi-

an Scout Medallion, and his Bronze and

Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

The FSR Skills Alliance Excellence in

Outdoor Instruction and Education

Award.

Awarded to the Edmund Rice Education

Flexible Learning Centre Network

(EREFLEC). Working with those excluded

from mainstream educational offerings ERE-

FLEC creates safe, engaging, relationship

based learning communities .

The Queensland Government Encourag-

ing Participation in Outdoor Recreation

Award.

Awarded to Motorcycling Queensland, for

the Queensland Moto Park at Wyaralong.

Since opening December 2011the Moto

Park has provided over 40kms of trail riding

circuits and six motocross tracks, for riders

2012 Award Winners

Ambassador for Outdoor-tober. We appre-

ciate his support and engagement with the

Federation and wish him well with his fu-

ture adventures.

Over the course of the Awards night, eight

awards were presented to honour the

achievements, innovation and profession-

alism of our the people and organisations

of our sector.

The Queensland Government Out-

standing Achievement (Individual)

Award. Awarded to Rebecca Fox who has

over twenty five years in the Outdoor Edu-

cation industry in roles ranging from facili-

tation, to education, to management. In

1999 Bec was employed by Guides

Queensland to manage and operate Kindi-

lan Outdoor Education and Conference

Centre. She has served the sector through

professional involvement with QORF, the

ACA, and various other bodies.

Minister Tim Mander & Rebecca Fox

18

of all ages and skill levels and proven popu-

lar and well managed.

The Queensland Government Environ-

mental Award.

Awarded to the Logan City Council’s Logan

Community Trailcare Alliance. The Alliance

closes unsafe and poorly built illegal trails to

build sustainable trails that meet Interna-

tional Mountain Bike Association standards.

The group is comprised of local outdoor rec-

reation club members and involves various

branches from Council.

The Queensland Outdoor Recreation

Federation Government Achievement

Award.

Awarded to the Queensland Parks and

Wildlife Service (QPWS), for the 2012 Out-

door Recreation Operational Policies and

Memoranda of Understanding. The QPWS

has recognised the valuable contribution

recreation organisations and associations

can make to park management and has

shown leadership in collaborating to seek

consistent management decisions.

The Brisbane City Council Outdoor

Event Award.

Awarded to the Kokoda Challenge, organ-

ised by the Kokoda Challenge Association.

The Kokoda Challenge event is an annual,

gruelling cross country team event held

over 96km, with a time limit for completion

of 39 hours. It takes place in the Gold Coast

Hinterlands as an ongoing and permanent

legacy to our diggers.

A highlight of the evening was the QPWS

‘It’s Better Outdoors’ Photography Com-

petition sponsored by the Queensland

Parks & Wildlife Service. Six category win-

ners were selected along with best Student

Photo. From the many inspiring images

submitted, Ben Blanche’s ‘The Green

Room’ was selected as the QORF Best

Overall Photo Winner.

As with all of our events, it is important to

acknowledge the event partners and spon-

sors for their generous support in hosting

the 2012 Queensland Outdoor Recreation

Awards and the QPWS ‘It’s Better Out-

doors’ Photography Competition.

To you all, our sincere thanks.

‘The Green Room’ by Ben Blanche

19

OUT AND ABOUT

Treasurers Report

As treasurer for the last three years I would

like to commend the efforts of the CEO

Donna Little for continuing to grow and de-

velop the organisation. QORF is in a strong

financial situation to support the develop-

ment of membership services, advocacy

and the outdoor recreation sector in

Queensland.

The 2012 Financial year saw a small de-

crease in income compared to 2011; this

was due to less event income, projects and

sponsorship. Overall there was only a dif-

ference of $16, 480 which is strong consid-

ering the economy during 2012. During this

time QORF has taken over the administra-

tion of the NOLRS registration on behalf of

the Outdoors Council Australia. The QORF

board determined this is a sound invest-

ment as a service to the outdoor sector na-

tionally. Expenditure increased from 2011

with further investment in staffing and pro-

motion of events, activities and the outdoor

sector. Yet the CEO and staff managed to

reduce expenditure on major events and

activities, without compromising on the pro-

fessional delivery, to ensure a profit was

generated at the end of the year.

The organisation is appreciative of the on-

going support provided by the Queensland

Government Department of National Parks,

Recreation, Sport and Racing. This funding

contributes to the development and servic-

ing of the outdoor recreation sector in

Queensland. The operating profit for 2012

was $26,274. The management committee

along with the CEO resolved that as the or-

ganisation had retained earnings equivalent

to one year’s operations in 2011, that in-

come generated should be reinvested back

into the delivery of services. This has been

accomplished with an increase in staffing

and delivery of services online, events, pro-

jects, seed funding, scholarships and mem-

ber support.

The organisation is in a strong financial po-

sition and will continue to deliver valued ser-

vices to the Outdoor Recreation Sector in

the coming year. I recommend that these

statements and the Auditors Report be ac-

cepted as an accurate reflection of QORF’s

Financial position as at 31 December, 2012.

Jo Robey

Treasurer

20

Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation Inc.

Financial Report for year ended 31 December 2012

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30