Hi Everyone, Hope this finds you all well..

Please read on to find out whats been going on behind the scenes, where the clubs up to in regards to returning to some normality after two months of the dreaded COVID-19 isolation.

Firstly, with the easing of restrictions a Club Committee Meeting was held last Tuesday (19th) and Track Committee Meeting on Wednesday (20th) to look at our needs as restrictions are eased. The minutes of these meetings will be read at our first formal meeting back at Pakenham Bowls Club; please read on for some items of interest that follow in dot point form..

• When will club meetings return to normal?
  •  Still on hold, we have contacted Pakenham Bowls Club and been advised they are still currently closed but this will be reviewed shortly as we move towards level 3 restrictions which allow gatherings of up to 100 hundred people possibly by July. Fingers crossed….
• Queens Birthday Weekend Ride – 6,7 & 8/6/20
  • Bindo is continuing negotiations with Dargo Hotel manager who is trying to find a away of accommodating the club under the eased restrictions. Note: this would be accommodation and meals only.  Members will be notified by midweek if this is to go ahead by Facebook/texts
  • The club will organise an alternate ride if Dargo doesn’t go ahead, however there may need to be restricted numbers to meet current COVID-19 guidelines, again information will be sent out via Facebook/Texts
•  McGregor Rd Track Days – When will they resume?
  • The Track Committee have reviewed advice supplied by Motorcycling Australia/Victoria inline with Federal and State restrictions, they have  supplied guidelines for clubs to operate their club tracks on a restricted basis.  The way we operate will change and the guidelines will be distributed soon for your information. The track was scheduled to reopen this coming Sunday the 31st May – That’s the Good News, Read On for the Bad…
  • Around three weeks ago (just before a very wet weekend (where the local area had approx 70mm of rain) a club member informed me of a culvert being dug under McGregor Rd. On inspection the Culvert had been constructed to redirect storm water from drains on both sides of McGregor Rd into a dam on the Pakenham Car Clubs land. A channel had also been cleared connecting Car Club dam to two dams that are located on KWRMCC’s land. All three dams were full and all overflow water flowed south flooding a large part of Lot 2 (KWRMCC land), including the tracks in our current riding area’s.  Cardinia Council was notified over several emails of this flooding along with a request to immediately block/seal the culvert to prevent further flooding and restricting our operations.  Only yesterday the culvert and channel connecting the dams to McGregor Rd drains were finally blocked/sealed by the Councils Operations Department after further rainfall and flooding last week.
  • After inspecting the tracks late this afternoon I’m sorry to report it’s still far too wet to operate, however the dam levels have dropped and water has stopped flowing into our area’s. A weekly review will be undertaken of track and parking conditions and hopefully a return to riding as quickly as possible. With the ground saturated by flooding dams our concerns are with any future rain will just top up the ground water currently laying in the paddocks.
  • A text will be sent to members on the Thursday leading up to scheduled Sunday track days (on website calendar) informing if track is open or closed.

On Behalf of the Club Committee we look forward to seeing you all soon,

Regards, Spanner  (Any questions please contact me on – 0422299627)

Map supplied to Cardinia Council showing flooded/Saturated area’s, since this map was supplied to Council the saturated area’s have moved far outside the “blue” boundaries.