G'day Birders,
I thought it pertinent to put out a reminder to anyone visiting Alice
Springs and hoping to access our magnificent sewage ponds. Power & Water
have recently changed the process for gaining a key for birding access. The
main difference is that you now have to complete an online induction before
your application for access will be processed. I've gone to a fair bit of
trouble to explain all the steps required for access on my blog, and
concocted a brief guide to the facility, but I'm still getting many emails
(some not so friendly) from disappointed visitors who have arrived
expecting to arrange their key on arrival. The process now takes
considerably longer, but should still run smoothly if you *organise it
before your visit.*
Please spread the word. You can view further details, including links to
Power & Water's page here;
http://comebirdwatching.blogspot.com.au/p/poo-ponds-page.html
On a related note, and this is very much an "if the cap fits" comment, but
when you're a visiting birder somewhere and expecting advice and assistance
from local birders - be nice. I'm sure these access issues are a common
feature of an increasing number of similar facilities across the country.
Rarely, if ever I would wager, are they instigated by local birders trying
to restrict access to "their" ponds. To state the obvious - these
procedures are an onerous legal formality imposed by the operators of
industrial facilities to cover their liability in the event of accidents.
Local birders are bound by these conditions as much as any visitors. Don't
blame us, we're just trying to help. (Confession: I recently did something
a bit naughty. A visiting birder was caught without a key and, as I wasn't
using mine on that day and very much against the rules, I loaned them mine.
I had never met the person, but believe in helping out visiting birders. My
assistance was repaid by the person losing my key - lesson learnt. So I
have recently had to go through the whole application process and can vouch
that it takes a bit of fiddling around online.)
Sternly worded letters to administrative staff of such corporations and
combative encounters with shop-front staff, are only likely to have one
outcome; the closure of such facilities to birders. Shop-front staff find
dealing with insistent birders just as onerous and boring as birders find
the process themselves. With management fielding complaints from both
sides, it is easy to see the most expedient course of action for them to
end the problem altogether. As far as I am aware, these businesses are not
obliged to permit access to these facilities, but there are still a few in
the birding community who need to understand this and start seeing access
as the privilege that it is, and behaving in such a way that will guard
this privilege rather than jeopardise it.
My encounters with visiting birders in Alice Springs over the years have
been overwhelmingly friendly, enjoyable, and rewarding. To anyone*
not*overwhelmingly friendly, enjoyable or rewarding - cheer up.
Birding is much too important to be taken so seriously.
Cheers,
Chris Watson
Alice Springs
--
*BIRDS CENTRAL AUSTRALIA*
*Central Australian birding resource*
*Guiding, writing, and the latest site information*
*from Alice Springs*
www.comebirdwatching.blogspot.com
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