Caulfield Racecourse Flying Club

In 1879, Caulfield Racecourse was bequeathed as a Crown Land Grant to the community for horse racing 25 days per year and for the rest of the time, as a recreational reserve and parkland. The Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Act 2017 (Vic) gives effect to the current trust and encompasses the functions and duties of the trustees. However, there is some doubt whether the new trustees are complying with the purpose of the Act and objectives of the trust. “Truly inclusive open space”; “What the community can expect” is not living up to “making the reserve a place for everyone to use and enjoy”

The new trustees are regulating and even banning some community groups who have used the land for many years for recreational activities. The Caulfield Racecourse Flying Club Inc. (CRFC) is one such group that has used the Racecourse Reserve for over 50 years. It has been used for flying model aircraft probably since its inception. The former trustees had such a bad reputation for management of the Reserve that they were formally removed as trustees but they, at least, identified CRFC as the controlling body for flying RC planes (1994 Regulations XI). The CRFC now holds no confidence that new trustees can be entrusted to do any better. The reserve is 54 hectares of near open space, with at least 8 hectares of completely open grassland, well buffered by vacant land. It has been ideal for flying model aeroplanes (or now sometimes drones) since the reserve was formed. CRFC was incorporated in 1988 and is a member of the Australian Men’s Shed Association. “Open spaces are vital to our collective health and wellbeing.” CRFC members have been using the open area for many years and always under the auspices and sanction of the Trust at the time, DELWP and the Melbourne Racing Club reserve management. The Club was always insured by Victorian and Australian affiliates and complied with their safety guidelines.

Now the Trustees have banned us. A ban on flying models was targeted at our club only but now everyone. The process to get rid of us was a carefully planned ploy starting with absurd restrictions such as; restricting flying hours to 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday to Friday (hardly recreational hours and well after the wind had come up); proof of insurance cover that covered us while travelling between the reserve and home. Further absurd restrictions were introduced to the point where if a member wanted to fly a model, even as small as your hand, he must have 4 club officials present to act as ‘spotters’.

We are a recreational club, participating in a recreational activity, in recreational reserve and yet we could only use it under the Trustee’s absurd protocol. We wonder what other recreational users will be banned for unfounded safety reasons - fishermen, dog walkers (on and off-lead), bicycle riders, joggers, disk golfers, kite flyers and rocket enthusiasts. All these have no insurance and yet our members would have $20 million cover for property and public liability. The grounds the Trustees purport, are that flying any kind of aircraft (including a child’s foam chuckglider or paper dart) is now too dangerous, when in fact our models are more often styrene foam or balsa wood & tissue paper planes, electric if powered, with pusher (rear) or internal ducted propulsion or lifted by 4 small rotors. Our RC systems now use the 2.4 GHz system, having the same chance of interference or a crossed channel, as your mobile phone. All Flyers are now regulated by new CASA Regulations. CASA controls the airspace from zero to 140 m and fully condones the use of this area for model flying. Surely this is safer than ever before. We now seek your help and advice. Sincerely, David Casley, President of the CRFC Inc.

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