Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

The Australian Defence Minister, Brendan Nelson, today announced a motorcycle awareness campaign providing free motorcycle and scooter training to all defence personnel.

The press release reads:

Today, I was very proud to launch the Defence Motorcycle Awareness Campaign, which will maintain and enhance the skills of motorcyclists and scooter riders in the Australian Defence Force and the Department of Defence.

Defence has approximately 5,000 riders across Australia.

As part of this $1.9 million campaign, licensed motorcycle riders - both ADF members and Defence civilians - can access fully refundable advanced rider skills courses once every three years.

These courses will be run by professional accredited training providers around Australia, and will help Defence people become safer and better riders.

The Defence Motorcycle Awareness Campaign aims to reduce the number of accidents involving Defence personnel who ride motorcycles or scooters.

It will also raise awareness among other road users - particularly those around military bases - of motorcycles and scooters on our roads.

By heightening safety awareness and improving the skills of its riders, Defence is investing in protecting its most important asset - its people.

I would like to thank the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, the motorcycling industry and media, motorcycle training providers across Australia, and the ACT Emergency Services for their support for this campaign.

With an alarming increase in motorcycle rider fatalities in the US Defence forces recently, this is a good a encouraging move by the government for both our defence personnel and also for all riders in general.

Soiurced from Nutrider.

greeny did it a few weeks ago...wasnt that impressed...

$1.9M would be better spent on those who fucken need it.

Im in the navy, and i attend alot of sport funded by defence and we recieve professional tuition. Two months ago i was at a 10 day motocross camp. This week I am at the navy lodge (funded by sailors) at Mt Buller competeing in interservice snowboarding events. I am getting paid to do so and its not coming off my annual leave. You would be amazed what kind of benifits we get.

Sux to be a civillian i say

Kishy wrote:$1.9M would be better spent on those who fucken need it.

So defense personnel don't need it then is that the assumption we should make here? And who does "fucken need it"?

Benny wrote:Im in the navy, and i attend alot of sport funded by defence and we recieve professional tuition. Two months ago i was at a 10 day motocross camp. This week I am at the navy lodge (funded by sailors) at Mt Buller competeing in interservice snowboarding events. I am getting paid to do so and its not coming off my annual leave. You would be amazed what kind of benifits we get.

Sux to be a civillian i say

do i see a village people connection here

Benny wrote:You would be amazed what kind of benifits we get.

Sux to be a civillian i say

I was in the Army for six and a half years and I know exactly what kind of benefits you get .

They are more than offset by the amount of shit you have to put up with and the crap pay and living conditions. All this and you get to live in close proximity to people of the same sex and questionable moral virtue, all dressed in green .

Mind you that was the Army and back in the 80s, for all I know it could be like a big happy green country club now (but I know the pay is still crap).

[quote="Ratmick(but I know the pay is still crap).
[/quote]

What do you call crap pay?

I have a mate that was in the army until a car hit him on his Motorcycle & wrecked his knee, & he reckoned the pay was ok, he now works for Origin energy & earns similar pay without some of the extra benefits....

mick_dundee wrote:

Kishy wrote:$1.9M would be better spent on those who fucken need it.

So defense personnel don't need it then is that the assumption we should make here? And who does "fucken need it"?

Yes that is the assumption I'm making.

They dont need money to learn how to ride friggen land-to-air missile
carrying 50cc scooters or armour plated motorbikes

The Defence Force budget is already worth $$$,$$$,$$$

& if ya so far removed from society that you have no idea what $1.9M
could do for others in need or more importantly, who is in need, then ya
got problems.

hmm time to go back to the reserves me thinks

gizmo wrote:
What do you call crap pay?

Less than 10yrs ago, a gunner was on approx $40k (if my memory serves me correctly)

Was shit back then, & it is shit today. Many jobs out there offer more $$ for comparative
work..

If it was overwise, the Forces would be flooded with applicants instead of the Gubyment
having to launch advertising campaigns getting cunts to join up.

Why U think the Defence Force have hard time retaining their pilots for example?

Why? because of money. Airlines will pay shitload more than the Forces eva will.

Ya go into the Defence Force for the love of it.. not for the peanuts they fucken pay ya &
the kick in da guts ya get once ya out.

Just pray ya neva get a medical discharge, or worse still get killed in duty.. because once
ya useless to em, you'll see what the Gubyment treats ya ass; or ya loved ones.. if ya dead

As the V.V. what they think of how they've been treated.

i didnt think $40k with all the benefits (medical, leave, tax free bonuses etc) was classed as "crap"..

Neka79 wrote:i didnt think $40k with all the benefits (medical, leave, tax free bonuses etc) was classed as "crap"..

Well I'm only talking for myself.. for me that was shit money.

<edit> to correct my previous post.. job role was rifleman & not gunner

I think some of you have missed the point.

Considering the amount it costs to train and maintain the skill set of certain jobs in the ADF 1.9M is a small price to pay.

The whole reason the government has implemented this was to help prevent the deaths and injuries of ADF motorcyclists to save money and retain personel

As for the defence budget. Yes it might be big but what price do you put on keeping this country and its interests safe.
Ask the Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors right this minute who are in harms way if the defence budget is big enough as they try to do there jobs undermanned and in many cases under equipped.

Easy to sit back in the comfort of your safe house and comment on those who risk there lives to keep YOU safe.

greeny wrote:I think some of you have missed the point.

Considering the amount it costs to train and maintain the skill set of certain jobs in the ADF 1.9M is a small price to pay.

Exactly why it would be better spent on those who need it more.

greeny wrote: The whole reason the government has implemented this was to help prevent the deaths and injuries of ADF motorcyclists to save money and retain personel

If the kids dont know how to bloody ride a friggen 50cc scooter, get
em off the lil machines & make em ride bicycles (if they know how to ride
those)

greeny wrote: As for the defence budget. Yes it might be big but what price do you put on keeping this country and its interests safe.

The price of keeping the country safe is the budget they blow on em
each year.

greeny wrote: Easy to sit back in the comfort of your safe house and comment on those who risk there lives to keep YOU safe.

Dont blow hot air up my ass bro.

We not talking about boys, girls, men & women keeping me safe.. we
talking about defence personell who dont know how to bloody ride scooters
& how its costing the tax payer $1.9M as a result.

Keep on the topic.