When the City Plays Policy Sport with

the Country

A viewpoint on the game board involving

Australian history.

Horse SA, 2011  www.horsesa.asn.au

The Department charged with feeding & clothing our people

$133 million. Painful.

Fees are raised, regional offices closed, redundancies taken and

of the state forest assets for the next 100 years.)

With most of the state’s population (and relevant voters) living

are raised in alarm.

Plant and animal health services combined into a new “Biosecurity

order to provide core business services.

The policy game commenced with the first throw of a regulation to

is now required by law to register for a Property Identification Code (PIC)

The curveball being it went straight to Parliament without a full

lines.

In February 2011, Horse SA with direct support from a wide range

revenue collection.

Independent MP Robert Brokenshire moved to disallow the PIC. It

landholders would get.

Debate in Parliament and in Estimates noted the PIC fee ($76 every

What seemed a small impost now would most certainly escalate.  A “Red Card” warning for sure.

This small

Australian history.

Biosecurity SA is now in a one month consultation period for these

timeframe allowed- if at all.

The scoreboard summary reads:

1.      

The PIC, originally regulated to be invoiced

cost of the PIC in three years’ time is not provided.

2.      

An introduction of a fee for re-registering

late joins that of failing to notify of change of address.

The knockout goal -

1.      

An introduction of a “Head of Power”

associated with the Property Identification Code (PIC)

2.      

The new power enables every PIC number to be

to an “animal health fund fee”.

3.      

New levels of penalties are introduced, so

register or pay.

4.       Whist a

then pressure can be expected from lobby groups for this to occur.

5.      

A rate of $125 per eligible horse- only

appears)

6.      

For properties that run horses and sheep or

pa.

What do horse owners get? 

industry does not regularly access all of these services.

A study of staff time and tasks has been undertaken as part of

is seeking clarification on who/ what these positions are.

With 81 horses dying nationally of mozzie disease, Hendra and

related threats, is .43 enough? If you want more, you will need to pay.

The warning cards are still being held up, with Horse SA seeking

clarification on many aspects, including

1.      

The fees are not capped. They will rise with

collected than is needed?

2.      

Projected costs for the next 3 yrs are shown

activity would not come without costs

3.      

Another chart is required to demonstrate if,

recovered as they are for public good.

And importantly, pressure will strongly continue to be applied to

Livestock Act.  Pay and pay again.

There are of course, many more questions of which Horse SA has

sought further clarification.

It

the new fees.

What

do you think? Submissions close Friday 7 October, 2011.

Horse

penalties.

Here is the link:

http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/biosecuritysa/animalhealth/animal_health/public_consultation_-_biosecurity_fee_information_pack

Read it all. The FAQ’s provide quite a different “opinion”

clarified and double checked.

It would be appreciated if a copy of your submission can also be

sent to Horse SA:  Email horsesa@horsesa.asn.au

Horse owners and organisations can also write directly to the

structured email is acceptable. A follow up phone call is recommended.

The Hon. Michael O’Brien  MP,

napier@parliament.sa.gov.au

Mr. Adrian Pederick 

MP, Shadow Portfolio Agriculture hammond@parliament.sa.gov.au

and the members of the Upper House

http://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/LegislativeCouncil/Members/Pages/List%20of%20Members.aspx

Game. Set and no Match.

Mosquitoes are annoying, and can potentially transmit diseases to both humans and horses. Mosquitoes lay eggs in stagnant water, long grass and damp soil, so it is important to reduce or eliminate potential breeding grounds. Mosquitoes do not breed in moving water e.g. water aerated by a fountain and are poor flyers, so wind in the form of a stable fan will reduce

airborne mosquitoes.

Some useful tips:

• Inspect your stable yard for potential breeding sites. These may include old tyres, damp soil behind dripping taps, water pooled in the bottom of garden pots, gutters that do not fully drain or are full of leaves and uncovered tanks

 • Clean drinking water troughs, bowls and bird baths frequently

• Tip over buckets and bowls of water that is not needed

 • Maintain drains & clean out sumps or other water control devices, checking that water does not pool. Drains are a known common source of mosquitoes in stable yards.

 • Check the yard for pot holes, open drains and ditches that pooling of water, and therefore mosquitoes.

 • Add a small amount (capfuls) of apple cider vinegar to water troughs and tanks, this will kill larvae and go some way to reducing flies and keeping the water clean

• There are insecticide products on the market for the reduction of flies and mosquitoes, read the label carefully before applying

Google the Internet for products that may help around the horse itself to repel mosquitoes, including rugs impregnated with insect repellant and products to apply to the horse, especially “long life”

Do you sit on a horse organisation committee? Are you seen as a leader amongst your peers?

Many horse sport and recreation organisations are taking opportunity to continuously review rules and policies, invest in research, provide targeted education programs and promote the positive welfare actions in place.

Horse SA is facilitating a conversation with a Thought Leaders Group, made up of organisation leaders who share thoughts and conversation around horse welfare, wellness and/or well-being.

From the perspective of a horse organisation or event committee member or industry leader, what would your thoughts and conversation points be around these current questions?

1. How do you talk about horse welfare in your organisation? e.g. language such as “wellness” or “well-being” vs. “welfare case” or cruelty or perhaps in other ways.
2. How are new research findings, new ideas or new improvements
   cialis daily use vs viagra

   in relation to horse welfare introduced formally or informally into your organisation policy, practices, rules & culture?

3. How can riders and the industry benefit from welfare increments?
4. Leadership in welfare, what does this mean?

*The term thought leader can be applied to an organisation that integrates professional ethics with highly-effective leadership development

Though Leaders Group

Shared insights into how organisations currently talk about welfare with their members e.g.

language such as wellness or well-being vs. “welfare case” or cruelty.

Shared thoughts on ways organisations introduce welfare continuous improvement models with reference to barriers or opportunities.

Shared learnings about actions or initiatives by organisations that have successfully triggered behaviour change in ordinary members, on or off field, or operation of policy/management level with measurable outcomes.

Shared informed relationships between research/researchers and those that have influence over how welfare is managed within their field

Sharing of thoughts on priorities of further research needs or resources to help organisations providing structured horse sports or recreation in the area of welfare or “wellness” of horses

Shared support as Thought Leaders continue the discussion within their own organisation with support from others in this network

In South Australia many horse clubs will lease, or have a permit for, undertaking horse activities on local government public land. This also includes horse trail campsites (commonly called Trail Heads), including the Kidman Trail public yards.

Typically the arrangement includes use of land for horse events or exercise, club rooms and maybe additional yarding, wash bays or other horse related infrastructure. The arrangement could be for a one-off event or overnight camp, seasonally, or for a multi-year period.

Understanding the type of arrangement your club or event has with local government is very important for ensuring long term club or activity viability, gaining support for infrastructure upgrades or just getting help with annual maintenance tasks.

Under the South Australian Local Government Act (1999) all local government land (except roads, easements and Rights of Way) that is owned by a council or under a council’s care, control and management is taken to have been classified as community land. There are, of course, exemptions and procedures listed in the Act which may apply to individual land parcels.

Councils may choose to further classify land into sub-sections for ease of administration. The City of Onkaparinga, for example, has determined that Sports grounds, Reserves, Business Areas, Culturally Significant Areas and General Community Areas are to be used. The City of Playford has decided on sub-groups which includes Drainage Reserves & Walkway Reserves.

The classification of the area roughly guides rules for use.

Some other general considerations;

• Community land, not leased to a horse club, is useful to establish or promote use of for the daily exercise of horses, particularly when in close proximity to horse agistment centres.

• Community land, not leased to a horse club, can legitimately have horse exercise infrastructure placed on it and maintained in the same way other sport and recreation activities have public playgrounds, tennis courts or fitness courses. An example of this is the Oakridge Road Riding Arena

• Community Land, leased to horse clubs, can work with council to make arrangements for access by club members or general horse owning public for the purposes of exercising horses on a daily basis

• Community land may have existing trails present or provides a good opportunity to link to sections of trail within a district to form a link or network

• Community land is useful for trail heads, establishment of watering points for trail users or for resting spots for long-distance haul horse transport to rest horses

• Access to community land may be needed as an entry point for access to land under the care and control of the State Government or Commonwealth. This happens frequently in coastal areas and land adjacent to National Parks or Forestry reserves

• Community Land, which may have a general rule of not permitting horses, can often be used under single use permits or agreements for one off competition events or cultural heritage celebrations

•  Permits can also be issue for the grazing (depasturing) horses on public land

Community Land Registers (CLR)

Community land is kept on a register, which must be publically available for reading at the Council office. Increasingly, Councils are now adding these registers to their websites.

Some notes for interest;

• A Council can resolve not to include public land on the Community Land Register
• A Council can resolve to remove land (revoke) from the Classification, with public consultation procedures to be followed
• Land not on a Community Land Register has the likelihood of being disposed of without public consultation – that is- make sure your horse club or section of public trail is on land that is on your Council Community Land Register!

Ideally, all land which is required for public trail access is on the Community Land Register or is formally recognised as having public access in some other legal way e.g. road corridor, easement or Right of Way.

Community Land – Leases or Permits

Community land suitable for horse activity is often leased to community groups for sporting or recreational purposes. This is very common for pony & riding clubs around the state.

It is also possible for horse organisations to lease or have a permit for public land used for public horse yarding, such as occurs with the Kidman Trail.

Leases for any type of recreation or sport club on community land may need to note on them if there is a requirement to permit general public access to the whole or part of the leased area, especially if a marked trail runs through or adjacent to the site, or if there is any other expectations required e.g. access to public toilets or water by trail users.

If you are an advocate for public land use for horse trail riders or clubs, here are some tips:

Leases for use of Community Land are required to be advertised prior to approval.

Each week read your local paper and make note if any leases are advertised. If you see a lease being advertised which may affect trail access directly (the public use access routes through the specified leased area) or indirectly (e.g. football spectator cars frequently block a full section of horse trail or your club entry gate) or perhaps an existing or proposed horse club or activity may be under threat, then contact the Council to gain further information.

Active trail access workers within a community will be well aware, and will take the effort, to maintain good neighbourly relationships with lease holders whose site may affect trail access or even successful horse club or event operations. Therefore when a lease is advertised as part of a public consultation process, and there are no identified issues, it is just a formality to write in to support the request. 

Horse organisations and advocates often let themselves down by not supporting apparent “non- controversial” leases. It is very likely that there will be individuals and groups within any community who will oppose use of public land by horse riders or for a horse event. Demonstrated need by horse riders, through writing in to support the lease, is very important. Write in too, even if it is not your “own” club or you may never ride on that section of trail. Write in to support horses in your community!

If the notification requesting a lease on public land causes you some concern, it is important to contact the relevant Council officer to gain a full understanding of the issues and context.

Following your discussion, write in to

a) Support the lease or permit, acknowledging that existing public access routes/ club use will not be compromised and status quo applies (most often in the case of lease renewals)

b) Support the lease or permit, with recommended actions in relation to access terms & conditions for public routes/ club use e.g. installation of an alternate entry gate

c) Oppose the lease or permit, until further public consultation has taken place to preserve public routes

If you strongly oppose the advertised lease in full or any part, make sure your letter states your willingness to participate in any further discussions, research, mediation, studies or actions to arrive at a mutually beneficial outcome.

Ideally provide a copy of the letter to Horse SA, your Ward Councillor and Mayor, your peak horse organisation body and keep a copy of the letter for yourself.

Providing a submission in writing is important, as it forms part of the public register of responses and is likely also, in many cases, to be made available for public viewing.

There are further advocacy and lobbying tasks that could be undertaken, but that’s a long story for another day!

Community Land – Revoking

Revoking refers to when a section of land in whole or part is resolved by Council to be removed from the Community Land Register. This occurs for a range of reasons, including the wish by Council to raise further income through sale of land, the land is proving expensive to maintain or the land is required for another purpose e.g. added to the new road by-pass project.

Revoking of land on the Community Land Register is required to be advertised as part of a public consultation phase. Generally, Councils are aware that removal of community land of any kind causes residents to formally complain and efforts are made well in advance to address any potential issues e.g. realign any trails, relocate clubs or provide alternative horse exercise areas.

This occurs only, of course, if Council is aware that the land is being used for such purposes which will often not be the case of no permit or lease is present.

Road closures, unless determined, can be converted to new community land. This means that it is managed as a public park or community land is now – it’s just that the land parcel is a different shape.

Potentially of more concern are road closure orders that determine that the land is to be excluded from classification of Community land.

Warning Flag

 Check the wording of any proposed Council Resolution in relation to a road closure:

Excerpt from Local Government Act (1999)

Land that formed a road or part of a road that is vested in a council after the closure of

the road under the Roads (Opening and Closing) Act 1991 is taken to have been classified as community land unless the council resolves before, or at the time of, the making of the relevant road process order under that Act that it is to be excluded from classification as community land under this section.

Community Land Management Plans (CLMP)

Under the Local Government Act, Community Land is required to have a Management Plan.

Your club grounds or section of trail may be part of a larger council-wide management plan, and you did not even realise!

The plan provides a framework for Council to manage and develop, for the enjoyment and well-being of residents, recreational and leisure activities on community land, and this may  includes trails or public horse exercise areas.

Management Plans allow a Council to program and manage the maintenance of community land in a proper and orderly manner.

These plans are frequently quite generic and, as with other public documents, need to be available to be viewed at Council offices. Often Councils also place their plans online.

As with many documents, the CLMPs are required to be publically advertised when they are new or being updated.

Make a note of, or enquire as to when, the date is for the CLMP review of any sites that you are particularly interested in. Take an active part in the review process, which may include writing to Council before the advertised review date to confirm the good aspects you wish to keep and to note any additions or alternations for consideration as part of the update.

A “grey- area” topic to be aware of is the definition of “passive recreation” used to describe the activities which may take place on Community Land. The South Australian state government has included horse riding in this definition for use of open space, however, for some Councils this may not be observed.

Access to Community Land for the purposes of homing horse activity clubs and the conduct of horse events is key to a strong and vibrant horse community in any district.

Supporting this, work has to be actively undertaken by members of the community to make sure that public land, not leased to any organisation, is available for informal “passive recreation” purposes, including horse riding in the form of horse exercise areas and recreational trails.

Not all horse owners own a horse float to travel to exercise areas, nor have an on-property all weather exercise arena. Provision on public land is a viable and essential alternative.

Councils will generally not provide for such activities if there is no local demand. A local horse club may consider order viagra online ensuring that their local unleased public land caters for informal horse riders and advertise this as a benefit the club has gained not only for members, but as a contribution to the broader community. The advocacy work may have not been directly undertaken by the club, but the club has given every support to local voluntary individuals who are working for the greater benefit horse owners in their region.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this information is for general use only. Horse SA takes no responsiblity for an individual or organisations interpretation of any information. You are recommended to seek your own legal or other advice to suit your own situation

 Open public space or land, managed by your local Council, often provides a safe place to ride across or on which to exercise your horse. Many Councils have “rules” or by-laws in relation to the use of the land by horse riders. Written for a person who may be a local trail access worker (a volunteer who is interested in keeping trails open) the information applies equally to horse riders who take an interest in their local community.

For South Australian horse riders & trail users, some basic information to assist in understanding more about Council managed open space is provided. The information is subject to change and Horse SA is not responsible for an individual person’s interpretation. It is recommended to visit your local council website to check what the by-laws might be and also any signage on site of the land on which you wish to ride.

Council By-Laws

A very powerful way of managing horse access to public land is through by-laws. There are extensive procedures a Council must follow to create a new by-law, which are outlined in the Local Government Act 1999. According to the act, the by-laws need to be reviewed every 7 years.

The by-laws may for example—

• fix opening hours for specified land and prohibit or restrict access at other

times; e.g. beaches

• regulate, restrict or prohibit the bringing of animals or a specified class of animals onto specified land (e.g .horses onto public reserves)

• close specified land, or part of the land, to public access; e.g. walking paths

A council may also make by-laws about the use of roads for the movement of animals

It is very important for local trail access workers to encourage horse owners to participate in the review of by-laws.  By—law reviews will be have a public consultation opportunity for comment.

Keep an eye out for wording that implies “Horses are prohibited from all public land unless a trail is provided”…. and a trail is of course, rarely if ever provided (or not enough of them)

More common (and acceptable) is wording that implies that horses are permitted on all public land unless a sign is put up/resolution of Council has determined that no horses are permitted

Beach access for horses is often captured in relevant Councils by-laws, check the wording

By-laws relating to horses on roadways has caused little issue in SA to date, but keep an eye out on how a local Council may choose to apply it in very localised situations.

Local horse riders are rarely aware of their local by-laws, causing on occasions for them to be broken and complaints to Council to be made. Often enough, these complaints get out of hand very quickly, end leading to a large amount of volunteer and Council staff time being wasted to sort it out.

As a trail access worker, be vigilant on even small matters. Look for opportunities through local clubs and flyers in local fodder & saddlery stores to educate horse riders about what the local rules (By-laws) really mean for them. You will have to be creative in getting this sort of regulatory message across in a meaningful way.

As an example – several cases are reported to Horse SA each year of  horse riders who did not immediately follow Council signage to pick up manure from a public car park area shared with horse floats. Often the intent was to do it after the ride, this was too late. The manure mess  gets reported by an irate local resident or tourist and before long,  the issue blows up (Radio, letters to the editor,  even the TV news, Council reports etc for weeks on end) with the very real threat of removing horses from the beach altogether, due to a car park issue – not a direct beach issue.

It is with these types of problems that trail access workers will have to advocate on behalf of the larger horse owning population and expect to spend many, many hours on keeping access open.

 Consider seeking help from those who would be considered leaders in your local horse community to undertake the broader promotion of

being a “good neighbour horse rider” in your district.

Register of By-Laws

Councils are required to keep a register of by-laws for public viewing at their office. Today, Councils also place their by-laws online.

Road reserves, especially those with little or no vehicle traffic, provide a safe and visually interesting ride or walk for recreational trail users. As with any public land, it is important to work with your local Council to recognise corridors through marking and mapping.

For South Australian horse riders & trail users, some basic information to assist in understanding more about road reserves is provided. The information is subject to change and Horse SA is not responsible for an individual person’s interpretation. It is recommended to develop a contact within your local council to assist with your enquiries. This can be done through your elected Ward Councillor. To find out who they are, visit www.lga.sa.gov.au or ring your local office. Remember, the best way to keep a public corridor or trail open is to use it!

Road Reserves: Road reserves are a corridor of land bordered by property as declared under the Roads (Opening & Closing) Act (1991) or other legal option.

On a “made

road” the road way or the “carriageway” is the formed section of road for the passage of vehicles. This is typically sealed by asphalt or graded gravel. The road verge is the portion of land within the road reserve between the carriage way and the adjacent property boundary.

An unmade Road Reserve is not developed or formed and therefore does not have a defined carriageway or verge. Some people call these “paper roads” or “tree reserves” It may be physically defined by fencing either side, but this is not always the case. Unmade Road Reserves are found on a type of map called a “Cadastral” map. Unmade road reserves will appear as road corridors indicated by two hollow lines in a street directory. (On a made road the two lines are filled in with a colour)

Management of Road Reserves by Councils

Road reserves are public roads managed by Councils under the Local Government Act 1991. They are responsible for the care and control of road reserves in the absence of any agreement to the contrary.

Councils can choose to manage roads in a number of ways, and are obliged to take into consideration any number of Acts relating to water, environment and provision of public services e.g. power, telecommunications

Major roads within a Council district are often managed by the state government Department for Transport. In many cases, the Department of Transport will maintain the carriageway only, with the verge often maintained by Local Government.

Roads totally under the care and control of Councils are often “ranked” according to the level and maintenance expenditure they receive. Roads with little evidence of use receive the least funding. On little used roads, don’t expect low hanging branches to be regularly trimmed or other works undertaken unless they are a part of an agreed trail maintenance plan.

Councils are increasingly developing management plans for their roadsides and frequently these plans determine through which vegetation categories or other identified constraint points that affect trails.

The Adelaide Hills Council (www.ahc.sa.gov.au) has online a Road Reserve Management plan of some 116 pages as an example of the range of issues that Councils consider.

Road Reserve Management plans are required to have advertised public consultation periods when new or being updated. Some Councils also have a road network plan. An example can be found on the City of Onkaparinga website.

An aspect of management is the naming of the road. Increasingly all road reserves are receiving formal names, with some having their names changed as part of a realignment or perhaps even recognition of a local historical important person. Naming of roads or name changes will be notified in a public advertisement. There is little issue her for trail access workers, other than to make note where roads containing trails may now be known by another name.

Management Signs & Markers

As you travel along roadways, there will be a number of different types of signs and marker pegs which guide access approval & maintenance decisions. Roadside Vegetation Scheme markers (RMS) and historical markers are just two examples.

RMS markers are placed before and after sections of high quality vegetation. Many Councils have now ranked their roadsides from 1-5 ranging from (1) being high quality vegetation to (5) “basically cement” or other highly modified natural environment and have approved activities permitted according to each category.

On road reserves that you are working on for access preservation, take a note of location and a photograph of any markers that you are not familiar with. Find out from your Council what each means.

Historical markers may indicate additional local rules could apply which prohibit access within a certain distance of a recorded historical site. Individual requirements will need to be clarified.

Unmade Road Reserves

On made roads, under the Australian Road Rules, horses are permitted on the carriageway – as a vehicle- and on the verge.

There is less clarity (in practice) around unmade road reserves

Trails promote public access along road reserves, with the preference being for unmade road reserves where there is no or only occasional vehicle access. By way of this access, the public may wander onto private land unknowingly if there is no fencing or other physical guidance to delineate change of land owner.

This is of concern to land holders, who will often complain to Council, because of the possibility of the spread of diseases, potential impacts on land management practices and the issue of public risk and liability.

Keep an eye out for survey markers which help define the corridor.

Unmade road reserves, which have not been surveyed in many years, may be difficult to define. Often the physical indicators on the ground (e.g. tyre tracks, large trees historically not removed as cropping stopped at the boundary) may not align with the actual legal corridor as outlined on a map.

Marked trails identify where the public land is and manage these concerns and highlight to Council that these corridors have additional values, hence the importance of preserving public land for recreational trail use.

Trail access workers should never assume that because access has historically been available along “roughly the right route” that this is sufficient. In recent years experiences have included

• Portions of unmade road that have been encroached by private landholders (typically a shed or vineyard) have been realigned, subsequently narrowed with the resulting remainder of the corridor remaining for road/trail use
• Sections of trail that have, even briefly, wandered off the legal unmade road reserve corridor, have encountered the wrath of “asset auditors” or other triggers which have required the trail to be realigned onto the correct legal corridor, often at quite an expense
• Landholders applying to Council to purchase the adjacent unmade road reserve. This has only been successfully opposed when a marked trail is present or it can be demonstrated that the road reserve in question would serve greater public purpose as a future trail linkage demonstrated by existing marked trails in the district close by.

Every experienced trail access worker will have literally hundreds of variations on road reserve access!

Opening Roads

New roads are most often seen in new housing estates, but are just as able to be created in rural areas. A subdivision of a large farm may provide opportunity for creation of a new road, a landowner can donate land, or a private road can be proclaimed as a public road as examples.

In South Australia, the Kidman Trail had the requirement of a land exchange taking place in order that a new road suitable for the trail could be created. An unsuitable unmade road reserve was closed on one side of a property and added to a private land title in exchange for an equal amount of land from the title to be excised and created into a new public road. A high level of cooperation is required from the landholder, trail planner, Local and State Government to achieve this sort of transaction smoothly.

New public access corridors are to be supported. Depending on the type of road, trail access workers may need to work closely with Council to ensure that safe access along side, or to cross over the new road reserve, is available.

New roads frequently unintentionally destroy historic trails and routes. Unfortunately modern road designers have little regard for recreational users and rarely take into account how people move around a certain piece of countryside and work to include these needs in the road plan.

Local trail access workers would do very well to find a retired road engineer to volunteer to work specifically in this special topic area with Councils and the Department for Transport for the benefit of all trail users in the region. Placement of street furniture (signs, seating etc) allowing for trail user room around roundabouts, suitable bridge designs and considerations related to culvert design are just a few aspects requiring specific knowledge in order to advocate with some success.

The opening of roads is required to go through a public consultation process. Often it is included within a new housing estate master plan.

Road Closures
A road closures is a very important community issue. Once a road is closed and gone, there is no more access. With an open road, regardless of how bad the engineering might be or how heavy the traffic, the land is at least open for public use.

A Council will resolve to close a road and the notification will need to be publically advertised. Road closures are VERY IMPORTANT for local residents and trail users to become involved in. It may be a powerful land developer that wants the road closed! – it can be any reason.

Not all road closures need to be objected to. Some closures are for minor sections of short sections of literally a few meters as part of realignments or other non trail related reasons. There are examples of trail users supporting road closures if a simultaneous new road or other legal corridor is opened up in a more suitable nearby location.

Often, Councils will close a road to a certain type of traffic category. The road may be closed to vehicle traffic but open for non-vehicles. On the ground bollards may be installed which don’t allow a vehicle to progress but trail users can fit between e.g. large rocks. During the partial road closure process, overzealous administrators have been known take this as meaning that the road is also closed to horses, as they are considered under the Australian Road Rules as vehicles. Keep an eye out for this and usually working with Council on the matter and pointing out that horses, like pedestrians and cyclists, are also permitted on verges, is sufficient to resolve the situation. Add in that passive recreation is supported on public open space.

Important to remember though, the best are worth fighting for and the huge collaborative community effort required to keep some road reserves open for trail users would fill another book!

The Office for Recreation & Sport in South Australia has Geographical Information System (GIS) electronic data layer which features road reserves. The data has information which ranks each road reserve for its recreational trail value. This is a fantastic resource and has helped prevent many unnecessary closures from going ahead in recent years.

Finally, before roads are closed they have to be signed off by a state government committee and the Office of the Surveyor-General. This booklet does not go into State Government processes, however as always, use your Ward Councillor to help you keep informed of its administrative progress through to its final outcome.

Permits to Use Road Reserves

A Council may choose to issue a permit for use of the road for specific purposes.

Permits can be issued for Community events to temporarily close the road for a festival or reduce speed for say, a cycling event.

Commonly a permit is issued to a landholder adjacent to a road reserve for the purposes of grazing livestock. A requirement is to have the gates at either end unlocked to maintain public access.

If you find any road reserve blocked in full or part, including locked gates, advise Council immediately and determine if the action was illegal or undertaken with permission by Council through a permit system. A Council can cancel a permit if a breach of a condition was found.

Similarly, landholders often place “private property” signage on actual Council land for public use. Through council, ask to have these moved; especially where it affects the willingness of the public to use a trail.

Road Reserve Register

Under the Local Government Act 1999, Councils are required to keep a register of all roads in their district. The register must be available for public viewing on request.

In this electronic age, Google Maps and similar programs provide enough information for trail access workers to do most initial tasks with.

Ask your Council if they have a register of Rights of Way or easements within their district.

Stock routes are registered with the State Government.

If you would like to add information use the comment box below. This information subject to change without notification.

You are invited to contribute ideas for any aspect of the future State Horse

Centre.

Our horses are important to us. Research is essential to build knowledge and encourage innovative solutions to help care for horses, improve their performance and investigate any field that will improve their welfare.

This blog is your opportunity for you, as a horse owner or perhaps an organisation, a supplier or worker who provides a service for horse owners, to make suggestions for research ideas.

Research topics which are suggested, supported and with the findings promoted by horse owners are the best investment.

Research ideas can be small (a veterinary student undertaking a desktop study to demonstrate a specific analytical skill has been learnt) to a project which spans several

years and has a research team with multiple investment partners.

Suggestions should be supplied on where some funds may be obtained to support the research and who may be able to provide in-kind support (e.g. access to data & records, products for testing or horses)

Horse SA will promote the ideas collected to researchers and assist where possible to support the collaboration process required for research to commence.

Horse SA has established an approved Tax Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR) Account for the purposes of raising funds to support research into horse health, welfare and related issues.

For further information about the Trust Email Julie  horsesa@horsesa.asn.au

Account Name: The Australian Horse Industry Research & Development Trust

Bank SA    BSB: 105-124,   Account Number: 044 579 240

ABN 91 543 859 559

Welcome to the Horse SA Blog. This site has been established to assist in sharing the messages about the key areas of work undertaken by Horse SA. Some issues may be fleeting and feature on the homepage, other topics such as the national consultation surrounding the Emergency Cost Sharing Agreement, will get their own page.

People interested in horse issues are encouraged to register with this site. Comments will be posted after evaulation by an administrator. From time to time guest editors

will be invited to post items or provide comment on a posted article.

Thank you for taking the time to visit this site.