If you wish to be part of the future direction of VARMS, then you need to be part of the December meeting

Before you start, take the time to think of the future of Briggs Field about 18 months ago.

 VARMS and how it got to how it is

The changes that  have been forced upon us

 The future, and what to expect and what opportunitys we can expect

 The proposal to spend money on our development

 So how did VARMS evolve?.  Well, for a long time we were a slope soaring club, with a bit of bungee and winch stuff in the odd paddock, and eventually, that odd paddock became Cathies Lane, first over where the tollway is now, and later more to the west, more or less where we are now . Over time we cleared dead trees, had the grass slashed a couple of times a year, then came the shed, then a container, then a small mower, then another, then a tractor. Somewhere in there came a runway for the power flying members, more mowing, clearing and lots of other work,  all done by members

 If we had a VARMS developement graph, it would have been continually growing, perhaps flattening out when the tollway went through. But about early '08 we had the dreaded Basketball thing, and for 2 years there has been much fear, including the fear of loosing the lot. Cr David Cooper, the Knox Mayor did say to me very early in negotiations that he thought VARMS would be OK.

 The future... Well, during these negotiations, the Knox developement group and VARMS have got to know each other, built up a lot of trust and goodwill, and have got to the stage that the VARMS  group negotiating things have noticed a change, it's not us and themany more, it's more ...... how can we make this work for both of us.   For example, our shed was planned for demolition early December, but we negotiated that it stay till after the meeting.  What I'm trying to convey here, is that VARMS and the Knox council have now a lot of common ground, and while the future still has a bit of uncertanty in it, the feeling I'm getting is that it is getting better and better.   For example, the Knox council has agreed for us to put up a new shed, and have suggested that they will contribute towards it

The Proposal.... Well, I plant seeds, and one I planted, was that while  Knox are getting a you-bute basket ball centre, VARMS could in fact afford a fancy shed, maybe an "Americal Barn " or similar. ( As flash as I could think )

  They came back with.... "Thats OK... we could put some money towards it, get the neccessary permits, and have it on done by MARCH"

 So, here is the plan.... We accept the KNOX offer, get a facy shed, at a cost to VARMS of 6 to 10 thousand dollars.  Water and power have been discussed and are a distinct possability in the the near future. By doing this we are digging in, and making a  visible presence There are other Knox initiatives that we can take part in , for example tree planting, especially along the bike track, but the car park may be another good spot, to give us shade to park.

 Now, there are a few negatives that need discussing, the biggest is that we would be doing this on a 1 month tenure..... exactly the same as the one we have had for the last 20 years. I think we have 10 to 20 years as things are at present( its only guessing from the info i'm privy to), and also don't think Knox would have us build something for only a few years use. After all, they are investing too.    Other things that need addressing are insurance and power and water bills

  As I said at the start, the VARMS graph is about to get another kink in it, and I think for the better

 The Project Manager, Mr Pat Meehan , for the whole developement will be at our December meeting, and will outline what is available, how much it's likely to cost, and the timing if we go ahead. I would hope we could make a decision on the night