Tea Gardens Slipway Association Inc.
2025 President’s Report 19 October 2025
Good morning everyone and welcome to the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Tea Gardens Slipway Association Incorporated.
As President of the Tea Gardens Slipway Association for the past 12 months, I would like to report to you on the Association’s business and operational activities during that period. It has been just over four years now since the slipway reopened after completing our project to not only improve, but also to meet our environmental compliance requirements. I know we have significantly “raised the bar” when it comes to establishing environmental standards that we all should aspire to. I believe we have become the benchmark for these standards, and why shouldn’t we? If this has made it harder for other similar businesses, so be it, because protecting the environment is of supreme importance.
The Association continues to receive many compliments on what we have achieved. Comments like “the best slipway in NSW” and “the facility is always clean and tidy like no other” have been received many times since re-opening. Members should appreciate that the “clean and tidy” comments only come as a result of the huge effort put in by the slip operators through the time and commitment they give in their
efforts to keep it that way.
It is as a result of slip operator’s efforts that the users of the slipway understand why it is so important to follow and support their leadership. Lets be clear, it is the users of the slipway to clean up, not the slip operators. Remembering that the five slip operators do what they do on a voluntary basis, I would like you to show your appreciation to Neil Bacon, Mac McIntosh, Trevor Stevenson, Justin Brown and I am number five, in the usual way.
Our fees for boat owners to utilise the slipway have remained stable despite continued increases in operating and maintenance costs. Sound financial management is a focus in our Association. At this point in time there are not any planned fee increases in the immediate future.
As members would certainly know, we operate the Slipway Association on a Not-for-Profit basis. All of the fees we collect as part of our operation are spent on the slipway facility as will be detailed by our Treasurer, Arne. We do not have any employees, only volunteers to make things happen. No money goes to individuals. No member gets paid for their services.
As I reported last year, the federal government has brought in a new requirement that Not- for-Profit organisations must prove their Not-for-Profit status every year. Last year they even back-dated the requirement, I assume in an attempt to catch some organisations out. Don’t you love them?
The Association’s Not-for-Profit status is extremely important to maintain because it means we do not pay any tax being a community facility for the community benefit.
Last year’s Not-for-Profit return was daunting in what information we had to pull together to complete the return. The Association through the committee, decided to get help from a firm called Findex who are Tax Specialists. The end result was that we achieved our Not- for-Profit status and we had a clearer road map as to what we had to do for this years return. I am pleased to report to you that I finalised this year’s return about a month ago and we have again achieved our Not-for-Profit status for another year.
I can report to you that the slipway now has a full stock of necessary spare parts should we encounter an equipment failure. While we cannot carry a spare part for all pieces of equipment, the winch is a good example of this, again the slip operators ensure all equipment is well maintained.
Another job we have been planning for quite some time now was the overhaul of the cradle wheels and bearings. We knew they had a great deal of wear in the axle pins so we bit the bullet and shut the slipway down for six weeks while this work progressed. This was a $16,700 exercise.
We have been praised for our initiative in purchasing a public use defibrillator with 24 hour access. I understand it is still the only 24/7 access unit within the community.
The Association’s Constitution which was registered effective 15 October 2023 is still current and serving the Association as it should. This was the fifth time we have updated our Constitution in 14 years, a true sign of an agile and progressive organisation. The slipway has responded to seven emergencies and three tow jobs this past year. This is the most emergencies we have responded to in any year during my tenure as President. We always keep records of these events as it becomes excellent ammunition for justifying our existence from time to time to certain government authorities.
I can report that early in this financial year, we achieved 103 members on our books, the highest I have ever seen during my time as President. That has settled back to 91 members, which is a little less than normal for our Association. I am not sure if this loss of membership is as a result of Marine Parks attempt to get rid of moorings and NSW Maritime not having the capacity to stand up to Marine Parks and get this mess sorted. I do suspect that the inability to secure a mooring is certainly affecting some people’s ability to invest in buying vessels.
I can report to you that the slipway utilisation was 64% of the available time in the last financial year, as compared with 65% the previous year and 51% the year before that. I wish to thank each of the committee members for their efforts and support throughout the past 12 months. Nearly all the members of the management committee have served for many years, some for more than a decade.
Our secretary Kirsten will not be standing for election this year and we very much appreciate her commitment through the four years she has fulfilled the secretary role. Also Mac will not be standing for election as a committee member this year after 14 years of distinguished service. I am not sure what he is going to do with all this extra time he will have on his hands but I am sure he will use the time available very well. To both of them, I say on behalf of the Association, Thank You.
On a final note, and sorry to be repetitive, because I say something like this every year; it is the members of this Association who essentially own the slipway. So treat it like it is yours and adhere to the directions of the slip operators. You will find their guidance invaluable. Remember the slipway resides in a residential area, so consider the neighbours when it comes to noise in particular and leave it the way you found it, neat and tidy.
Finally, I would like to thank you all for your attendance and involvement at today’s Annual General Meeting of the Tea Gardens Slipway Association Incorporated. I am happy to take any questions in relation to my report before recommending its acceptance.
Paul Bendy
President