Dear Members,
You may now be aware the CPGFA AGM was held in Cairns Friday 25th May and a new board has been elected unopposed. I would like to introduce the new executive committee to you now-
President- Tim Dean
Vice President- Darren Haydon
Secretary- Sally Morris
Treasurer- Brett Goetze
Committee- Kelly Dalling Fallon
Committee- Chris Miles
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the new board for making themselves available and stepping up and filling the vacant positions. We now have a full team on deck!
Daniel McCarthy the outgoing President from the membership past and present a heartfelt thankyou to you for your enormous efforts over the past 10 years as President of the CPGFA. Dan has steered the ship through some very trying times for our industry. It has taken great leadership, patience and determination from Dan with the help of the various committee members to keep up the fight over so many years and for that the members thank you. Dan is a great mate, will be a great member and ally of the CGPFA now and into the future and I wish you all the best as you transition into full time politics and feel it would be prudent to give warning for anyone who comes up against you in the political arena, brace yourself!
I would also thank the outgoing board and those who have served on the executive committee over the many years with the CPGFA (inc.1972).
Well how the hell did this happen?
I took a call from Laurie Wright Wednesday the 23rd and we discussed the impending AGM, the possibility of no one coming forward to fill positions and the potential of the whole thing to come crashing down around us leaving our industry, our livelihoods voiceless. This could not happen was our shared view, we will not sit back and watch this happen, the old “not on my watch” kind of talk.
All along during our talk I had that free-spooling feeling with me on the wrong end of the line and Law in control at the other. Like all good fishes should, I took the bait Law pitched. I knew there was a method in his message to me as it takes one to know one I figured so I called Biggs to try talk him into taking up the role of President with my support as VP first of all then we would look to fill the other positions once the top two positions in place. Well here’s the thing and a quick lesson in life, be very careful when you try to catch a fisherman as you might just catch yourself out! After a quick chat to Biggs and a couple of scenarios (Tim hooked again) played out I was nominated for the role as and a day later Dan after AGM happily announces my name as the new President.
Well didn’t that work out just fine for me right?
All jokes aside I do feel a huge sense of responsibility when it comes to being part of the CPGFA which represents our industry, our existence and to remember those giants of men who did the same for me watching over seeing things are still on course such as Brazzaka, Wheels, Laurie Wright and Billy Billson to name a few. All these legends of the industry along with many other stakeholders have made contact since the AGM and passed on their congratulations to myself and the new team. As always the message comes with that subtle don’t mess it up voice only those that know would know. It stirs you up I guess. It made me think just how deep seated the DNA of this industry is ingrained in us all. The history of the fishery in Cairns, the Captains, crewmen, clients, our world class and sometimes unforgiving vessels, families waiting for us at home and of course the great fish. The stories, mates, good and bad times, the going half mad times have been part of all our lives, years for some, some no longer with us and maybe just starting out for others. The many businesses and operators who rely on our industry for their own to survive and prosper. If you have been in this place, seen what we have seen, lived on the water and played with the fish then you will know why I took the bait from Law. You all would have done it.
It is the same reason Biggles, Sally, Brett, Kelly and Sharky willingly followed as all I had to do was ask once, “yes, I am in” was the answer. All done and said I was not really surprised when I heard that either I was just happy they took my bait too!
So here I am at your service, 25 years in the industry as a Captain/Operator, a Blues supporter through and through! I am a proud father of three wonderful children Meg, Hunter and Aliza and married to the best woman in the world Bec. I work a roster in the Gas industry and I operate the Calypso from my home base in Port Stephens up to the reef each year where I fish next to the best fisherman, in the most magnificent marine environment in the world. The GBR.
The team voted in will improve the CPGFA’s standing as our voice for the professional operators on the reef. I am confident we will keep safe the history that comes with this responsibility and to promote the fishery as the number one place to fish with the most professional Captains and crew in the entire world. I will be leaning on those who have represented us in the past along with those who are now on the board as their knowledge and experience is invaluable not just to myself but for the all of us in the association, everyone has something to offer we just need to get it all back together again. Membership is most of all what is the first order of business and I will be asking you all to get back on board. Without a solid united membership we have nothing, now it’s your turn to step up just like we have, together.
Over the next month or so I will be conducting a handover with Dan to get up to speed and assess the state of play. The board will be reviewing their respective roles and gaining the necessary administrative approvals such as submitting the new org structure to the government records, obtaining the banking, postage and social media controls. As a team we have already updated the membership form on the web site and removed some redundant information such as the moorings COP as we no longer have the moorings. Sally and Kelly have also now got the online platform up and running which means you now can go directly to the webpage https://www.cpgfa.asn.au/members/apply-for-membership/ and complete the form together with payment online (updated Code of Practice here https://www.cpgfa.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/code.pdf ). Some terrific work from the smarts in the team! There is also the facility to complete the membership by printing and returning the membership form the ‘old way”. I can also announce the CPGFA runs on the calendar year, memberships start from the 1st of January each year. This means that those that pay from now until 1 January will be financial members for the 2019 year.
Moving forward I, together with the team will stay in touch with you via a quarterly newsletter in which we will keep you abreast of current issues relating to the industry, information on what’s new in the fishing/boating world, any new environmentally friendly ideas which could help us maintain our world’s best practices on the water, introduce new members or hear a few tales from some old salts and of course the current list of the CPGFA’s financial operators. I am open for any input from the membership for this communication platform especially your photographs and with your permission I would like to share some of these in the newsletter with the members as we all know just how special some of those moments were/are. It’s not all about one particular aspect of the industry but it is the industry as a whole we would like to see, share and protect. The CPGFA is our industry voice and the stronger we are as a team the stronger and louder voice we will have.
Feel free to contact the CPGFA with any pending issues or information you may require or wish to share.
Please pass this email to those you feel would benefit from becoming a member. Thank you.
Sincerely
Tim Dean | President
0411 111 476
cpgfa.asn.au
president@cpgfa.asn.au