Creating an event, creating a team but wondering about the future

An event is bigger than an individual.
Few would disagree and certainly none of those involved with the creation of facilities and the staging of the Australian BMX championships in Shepparton on the weekend.
The list of those who worked on both aspects was long, but closest to the action here and no doubt feeling the weight of the responsibility was City of Greater Shepparton’s Manager of Events and Promotions, Mark Francis.
Mark is generally a happy fellow, but the deep satisfaction was obvious as the five day event unfolded bringing praise that the new track has catapulted Shepparton onto the world’s BMX stage.
The track is not only good, it is among the best in the world and the five days of spirited racing has left many Goulburn Valley people with an understanding of what BMX racing is about and its fit with the family landscape.
Yes, an event is bigger than an individual and with Mark was a team of fellow council employees who aligned with his aims and then created something through which BMX Australia staged its national championships.
Nothing, of course, happens in isolation as behind the project was courage of the City of Greater Shepparton council, which illustrated confidence to financially back the idea.
The idea that it might be less than ideal was never entertained and it being determined that the essence of BMX racing, the track, must be right and so renowned Track Designer Tom Ritzenthoeler, who also built the Beijing Olympic Track and Adelaide World Championship tracks, was engaged.
The design and construction works produced a near perfect result and the course broadcaster, Colin Willoughby, the father of Sam, 18 (above), one of Australia’s best BMX riders presently racing in Copenhagen, who, in following his son, has seen the world’s best courses, said Shepparton’s was easily among them.
Success for track, or the event, was largely a given and while respecting the hard work and imagination that makes such dreams a reality we need to contemplate such happenings on a grander scale.
Like so many similar events, we must wonder how it will fare in a low-energy future complicated by climate change.

Climate change puts pressure on leadership

Leadership emerged as the most needed community quality by one of the groups that meet in Shepparton to consider and discuss climate change and adaptation in the Murray-Darling Basin.
The group, the first of about three to meet in Shepparton over two days, was part of a series of community consultations organized by the Australian National University and Flinders University on behalf of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
Just five people, including an industrial organization representative from Bendigo, a drought consultant from Echuca with the Department of Primary Industries, a Tatura fellow with links to the Catchment Management Authority and that town’s revitalization group, a retired dairy farmer and myself.
None of the five were eager to see any new groups established, but generally felt that existing organizations, such as the City of Greater Shepparton Council, needed to take on the responsibility of helping the community, and in turn the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, understand to live with and work its way through climate change.
The seven-strong team, two of which, Professor Chris Miller (above) and Mavis Zutshi, were at the first Shepparton meeting, are conducting similar sessions Tamworth, Narrabri, Euroa, Renmark and Pinnaroo.
Findings from all six towns will be collated and in Shepparton’s case explained at a public meeting in July.
Groups were asked to consider worst case scenarios, how their communities would react if the scenario continued?, what skills and resources the community could bring to bear to cope successfully such circumstances?, how long could they survive is there was a lot less water?, and what direction might the community take in those circumstances?
Thoughts, obviously, were varied, but generally that first group seemed to agree that surviving such a challenge rested with leadership.