Fifty of AIDA’s approximately 500 members attended the 2023 AIDA Annual General Meeting on April 15th 2023 at the Aireys Inlet Community Hall.
AIDA president Charlotte Allen welcomed members as well as invited speaker Krystal De Napoli and Surf Coast Shire representatives Libby Stapleton, Councillor for Anglesea Ward, and Gail Gatt, General Manager Community Life at the Surf Coast Shire Council. Apologies were received from Robyn Seymour, CEO Surf Coast Shire; Mike Bodsworth, Surf Coast Shire Councillor (Anglesea Ward) and Gary Allen, Surf Coast Shire Councillor (Lorne Ward).
Before the formal proceedings of the AGM commenced, Councillor Stapleton spoke to members on behalf of the shire. Libby began by thanking AIDA for inviting her to attend the AGM and then paid her respects to the Wadawurrung and Gadabanud peoples, the custodians of the traditional lands that include AIDA’s area of activity, and upon which we were meeting. Libby then noted how lucky we in Aireys Inlet and district are to have groups like AIDA devoted to preserving all that we value and love about our environment and our community. She also congratulated AIDA on its work, inspired by the recent 40th anniversary of the Ash Wednesday bushfires, in compiling a much-needed oral and visual record of the experiences of those who lived through the disaster. Noting that the best kinds of community projects are those that are initiated and driven by locals, Libby said that council had been pleased to help support this initiative through a grant to AIDA. She went on to provide a detailed update on Surf Coast Shire projects, including consultation with our community and others in the shire to inform council’s upcoming planning scheme review; their progress re affordable housing; the introduction of a 24-hour cat curfew; their seeking of community feedback of the council’s place naming policy; and progress on council’s plan of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the impacts of climate change. With Libby’s permission, her detailed outline of her talk is available via the link AIDA AGM 2023 Notes of Presentation by Cr Libby Stapleton.
During the formal portion of the AGM the minutes of the 2022 AGM were accepted as a true record of that meeting before Charlotte Allen read her president’s report President’s Report to AIDA AGM 2023. Treasurer Frieda Wachsmann then presented the AIDA 2022 Annual Financial Statement, which was formally received by the members.
Peter McPhee then introduced AIDA’s revised Aims and Objectives, which had previously been circulated to members by email and published in the March 2023 AIDA Newsletter. The document was also made available to members at the AGM. Peter noted that the proposed changes were evolutionary not revolutionary and, the committee believes, more accurately reflect the association’s activities as well as simplifying the document. The motion “that AIDA’s revised Aims and Objectives be approved” was passed unanimously by the membership.
After the members had also approved the continuation of our practice of having a maximum of twelve committee members in addition to the four office holders, the election of the 2023–24 committee was held. There being no more than one person nominated for each position on the committee, the new AIDA committee was declared to have been elected with the following membership: President, Charlotte Allen; Vice-President, Ian Laging; Secretary, Mary-Jane Gething; Treasurer, Frieda Wachsmann; Committee Members Gary Abrahams, Helen Berthelsen, Barbara Fletcher, Annette Comte; Peter McPhee; and Chris Ryan.
Following the formalities, Krystal De Napoli, Gomeroi woman and astrophysicist, who spoke at our Dark Sky event in September 2022, gave an enthralling presentation entitled Deadly Dark Skies. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were the world’s first astronomers with astronomical traditions that have been sustained for over 65,000 years. Krystal’s talk revealed the ingenuity intrinsic to Indigenous astronomy while demonstrating the necessity of sustaining our dark skies. Krystal has agreed to her presentation being uploaded onto the AIDA website.
Attendees then stayed on for light refreshments and the opportunity to talk to Krystal and the guests from the Surf Coast Shire, as well as to the AIDA committee and other members.
The minutes of the 2023 AIDA AGM can be accessed here AIDA AGM 15APRIL2023 MINUTES.
Mary-Jane Gething, Secretary