Dear Audax Members,

The national committee over the last two years has been working to achieve the following changes.

• Renewing the web site
• Rewriting the ride rules
• Updating the constitution.
• Centralising and updating the financial systems the club uses
• Amalgamating the club’s banking to a single financial institution
• Introduction of the online entry system for rides
• Ride blast notification each month so members know what rides are on in their area
• The introduction of formal risk management procedures and register.

New Website

The new website has been commissioned: https://audax.org.au

Let me thank those members and committee people who have allowed the new website which is now live to be created. It offers a fresh more modern and importantly easy to modify and update platform. Going forward each region will be able to update their section along with general news about the club.

This major change has been nearly two years of work and all involved deserve our thanks. I would especially like to thank Thomas Price and Russell Noble.

Financial Systems

The changes to the club’s financial systems came after our long-time treasurer Richard Scheer decided that he needed a break from the role which given the diverse nature of Audax Australia operating in all states and the ACT was a huge challenge. Thank you Richard the level of detail and analysis provided to the National committee during your time was outstanding.

The changes to the finances reflect the fact that we are one club with many regions not a series of clubs with a loose affiliation. It was not meant to limit in any way how each region worked or chose to spend funds and I hope this is the way it is now seen. It did allow the introduction of professional bookkeeping services to take the load off the regional and national treasurers. High Country Bookkeeping now assists the club with the ride blast system operation and the payment of expenses.

This has improved the club’s financial compliance in the area of GST and will allow the volunteers who act as our treasurers to ride their bikes rather than be overburdened with accounting.

As part of this focus on simplifying the running of the club to remove the load on volunteers, Westpac has been chosen as the single financial institution where the club will operate and new accounts have been established for all our needs.

Online Ride Entry System

The online entry system which is now in operation simplifies the running of rides for ride organisers and brevet secretaries and is fast for members to operate. In a meeting with Cycling Australia earlier this year they described how they were working to achieve a similar system so it would seem that the club is leading the National Body for cycling in this area. Much of the thanks for this must once again go the Russell Noble for outstanding achievement.

Introduction of Risk Management

In the area of safety, the club has now established a formal risk policy and register. The formal subcommittee is led by David Fairweather with assistance from a number of people over the last two years.

Paris Brest Paris 2019

As 2019 was/is a year in which PBP was run much time has been spent training, qualifying and riding this great event. While the official results will not be released until December or January. My congratulation to those who successfully completed the ride and commiserations to those who for a variety of reasons were not able to finish. My understanding is that the Australian numbers are as follows.

• 76 Entered
• 50 Finished
• 1 Hors Delay
• 19 DNF
• 5 DNS

Special congratulations to Rebecca Morton for her fourth completion of the event breaking Sue Taylors long-standing record for an Australian woman and Peter Donnan for becoming only the third Australian to have completed the event six times.

My thanks to the PBP subcommittee who organised the jersey, Bag drop and Hotel.

Regards

Garry Wall
President, Audax Australia Cycling Club Inc.
Australia’s long-distance cycling club
email: president@audax.org.au