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Keith Moxham Background and
policy details
Qualifications
Fellow Certified Practicing Accountants (FCPA)
Member Chartered Institute of Secretaries (ACIS) -
Retired
Work History
Employed as a Management Accountant in industry for four
years.
Started my own Fashion Jewellery business in 1968, retired in
2008.
At the time of my retirement the business employed 65 people and was
the major supplier to Myer and David Jones and Kmart, and the sole supplier to Target, Big W,
Just Jeans, Jay Jay’s and Jaqui e, with ten retail stores in factory outlet locations around
Australia.
RV background
My wife (Beth) and I started our RV experience with a caravan, and for
the past three years we have been motor homers, we spend around 4 months a year on the
road.
The motor home is a Paradise Motor Home Liberation model and we flat
tow a suzi behind.
CMCA background to date
Volunteered for National Member Benefit Team Coordinator December
2008, was asked to take on the role as National Member Benefit Team Coordinator for Eastern
Victoria in March 2009, and in June 2009 was asked to also take on the role of State
Representative for Victoria.
In March 2009 when I started as the Coordinator for Eastern Victoria,
we had 1 RVFT we now have 7 RVFT’s with 5 more in the pipeline.
In My role as State representative, I arranged the first meeting for
the CMCA at Victorian State Government level, this was with the Minister for Tourism the Hon
Tim Holding, the result of the meeting, was both Tourism Victoria, and the Department of the
Environment, being asked by the Minister to work with the CMCA to promote RV Friendly
infrastructure and tourism in the state of Victoria, these discussions are
ongoing.
At the May State Representatives meeting at NHQ I was queried as to my
workload (my wife agreed) and was asked to put in place a process to appoint a replacement
for my NMBT activities, so that I could concentrate on my State Representative activities,
this process is well under way, and subject to board approval I would believe that my role as
State Representative would be continued should I be successful in being elected to the
board.
I have been an active participant on the CMCA Forum since joining some
three and a half years ago.
What can I contribute to the
CMCA
Financial, accounting and business management expertise baked up by
recognized professional accounting qualifications
and 40 years successful business experience.
A proven track record in achieving member benefits, and dealing with
government.
I am a team player, and firmly believe in working from within to step
by step, bring about gradual change that is in the best interest of the
members.
Why do I feel the need to stand for the Board.
Member benefits.
The success of any club like ours, is in providing to the membership
the member benefits that make the club indispensable to the members RV experience, we have a
great list of benefits which have been put together over the years by many hard working
dedicated people, however there is what I would consider one serious
omission.
As an NMBT member we are always saying to council’s and other
government legislators that we want the “Freedom of Choice” we don’t want to be forced into
Caravan Parks, lined up like soldiers, and pay for facilities that we neither want, nor
use.
I estimate that 60% of our members are on a fixed or limited income,
and to enjoy the RV experience they do not have the option of freedom of choice, it is either
free or low cost overnighting or they stay at home.
The Club over the past few years has done an excellent job of creating
a network of RVFT’s, which like the public dump points has benefited the RV community as a
whole, I would in no way suggest that these programs be curtailed, however I would push for
programs to be instigated that provide member only (all members including associate members)
free or low cost overnighting that is a CMCA exclusive benefit.
The
CMCA is by far the largest RV club in Australia.
But consider the following
NZMCA is approaching 40,000 members (Source NZMCA), from a population of 4
Million
UK Caravan club has 375,000 (Source UK Caravan Web Site) Families i.e.
around 700,000 members from a population of 62 Million
The CMCA is approaching 60,000 members from a population of 22
million
To match the
membership of these organizations on a population basis we would
need
220,000 members to match NZMCA
248,000 members to match the UK Caravan Club
Why is this so? There are many factors, however one thing
stands out, both these clubs have member only benefits that provide low cost overnighting to
members only. The CMCA does not.
These benefits are;
MemberParkover
Properties (POP’s)
Is private property, owned by a club member.
Is typically in a semi rural or rural location
Can only take a
limited no of RV’s, is limited to a maximum of 5 in the UK
Non members cannot use the facility; it is a club member having other
club members stay.
Low cost, in NZ two types, no cost with a small ($5.00) donation
expected, low cost ($7.00 - $12.00) depending on facilities.
Facilities vary from a level site and water, to toilets, showers,
water and power.
A limit on period of stay, no permanents cabins or van
storage.
Club Owned
Parks
In the UK these are regular commercial Caravan Parks, discounted to
members, the NZMCA has one commercial park, where members receive a discount, the other 26
are members only at a fee of $2.00 PP PN.
The schemes in the overseas clubs vary in their details, but in
principal are the same.
NZMCA has around 450 POP’s and 27 parks
UK Caravan Club has 2,500 POP’s and 200 Parks
A Couple can be on the road in NZ for a period of time and know that
the average overnight cost would be around $5.00 per night.
I have been working on a POP scheme for Australia for the past 12
months.
I have lobbied head office and the board to introduce a POP scheme
similar to that operated by the NZMCA, I was invited by the board to present at the Board
meeting at the recent Tasmanian rally, and as a result the board has asked me to submit to
them a detailed proposal on how the scheme would work, and subject to board approval, a trial
would be conducted in one state, the detailed proposal will be submitted in Late
August.
Subject to the successful introduction of a POP scheme as a member
only benefit, I would then be advocating CMCA owned Parks.
The key points of the CMCA owned parks I would be suggesting
are
Small size – 20 to 30 unit capacity
Member only
Most would be flat land and a tap
A Stop Spot Lock box for payment
Cost of $5.00 per vehicle per night.
If a dump point is not in the vicinity, then one would be installed at
or near the park, with public access if possible.
There are many
issues to resolve, however if the UK and NZ can do it, so can
we.
The above schemes will deliver to members the key element in their RV
experience, the ability to be on the road for extended periods at a cost they can
afford. It will also then be the driver for
membership, you cannot enjoy the benefit if you are not a member. With these schemes in
place, membership of the CMCA will be an essential must have for any RV’er in
Australia.
In the UK and
NZ the government consults with these clubs before doing anything that would upset such a large
organized body of people, it would make the CMCA the place for government to go to on RV
issues, a huge benefit to all members.
There is one other issue that I need to address here. Both the
overseas clubs mentioned, accept any type of motorized vehicle, whereas the CMCA stipulates a
Campervan, Motor Home or 5th Wheeler, Other RV’s can join as an associate member,
and as around 15% of the CMCA are associate members, the above programs will increase the
level of associate membership within our club.
I have no desire and will not suggest or push for any changes to the
current membership rules.
It is the
feed back from members on the issue of low cost overnighting that is the main driving force
behind my decision to nominate for the board.
Communication
Many members have commented on the level of communication between Head
Office, the Board and the members, this brings into play such issues as board
confidentiality, commercial confidentiality etc. Within the constraints imposed by these
issues, I would be pursuing and promoting a policy of improving and expanding the level of
communication to members.
I fully appreciate that there is a large body within our membership
who do not use Email, and for these members the traditional methods must be maintained.
However, for those that do have and use this type of facility and the increasing percentage
of new members that do use Email, I would be advocating an automated Email notification
service, to keep these members informed on a real time basis, of course the service would be
an option for those members who elected to receive it..
Contact Details
Keith Moxham
PO Box
374
Berwick Vic 3806
Email keithmoxham@bigpond.com
Mobile 0402 074 746
Home 03 9707 3921
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