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New peak body, Australian Motorcycling Competition Association, formed by founder of the Hard Enduro

The battle between Motorcycling Australia and the state bodies over a new constitution has forced the people behind one series to break out on their own. Here is what we know.

An off-road series is starting their own peak body in 2025. Picture: Hard Enduro Racing Australia
An off-road series is starting their own peak body in 2025. Picture: Hard Enduro Racing Australia

The promoter of one of Australia’s elite off-road motorcycling series says his decision to create a new motorcycling body comes after losing faith in Motorcycling Australia (MA).

Greg Patterson, promoter and founder of the Australian Hard Enduro series, has made the decision to form the Australian Motorcycling Competition Association, which could start in the next few months.

It comes as Motorcycling Australia and the state bodies continue their dispute over a new constitution.

Motorcycling Australia last year said failure to implement a new constitution could impact insurance and Australian Sports Commission funding – a double whammy which could stop racing in 2025.

The state bodies say the constitution, when first updated, put their bodies at risk.

A vote is expected this month on an updated constitution after last minute changes were made in December following late consultation between all parties.

Patterson said the dispute has led him to start his own body.

“The current issues for me, are the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he revealed.

“The most recent demands placed upon the state bodies by Motorcycling Australia Insurance Limited (MAIL) & Motorcycling Australia has come about through many factors, including track standards and the rules they have developed over the years.

“Having attended meetings with MA and Motorcycling Victoria, as well as being a club delegate and attending meetings with Motorcycling NSW, I am of the opinion the current climate and the forecast climate under the existing structure, is not one I can invest in or grow under.”

He recently launched a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for the new organisation to get itself running this year.

The fund would contribute towards setting up the organisation, organise events, reduce costs to compete for riders and allow the association to create the opportunity with landowners to use their land for events.

Ben Korn competes last year in an off-road event. Picture: Hard Enduro Racing Australia
Ben Korn competes last year in an off-road event. Picture: Hard Enduro Racing Australia

Importantly, the funds would also contribute towards a public liability insurance fund, which Patterson said he has secured after 18 months of hard work.

The forming of the association, and realignment, has forced the Australian Hard Enduro series to sit on the sidelines for this year.

The move comes at the same time as Motorcycling Australia launching the Australian Enduro Championship to replace the Australian Off-Road Championship.

The AEC will host a 12 round series this year.

Patterson said Motorcycling Australia had failed in its role as a body.

“It’s my opinion that the current governing body have not successfully promoted or grown the sport,” he said.

“Based on figures supplied to me by the current body, there has been a decline in full competition licences of 1.2 per cent from 2003 to 2023, despite a population growth of seven million during the same period.

“It’s my opinion the current body have not addressed the underlying issues that affect the sport daily, that being the legislation within the Civil Liability Act and other regulations that create issues with development consent.

“Clubs are struggling to gain consent from councils to run temporary events on private property, it’s my experience that the national and state bodies do not assist clubs or their volunteers to any degree regarding this, less events are getting across the line or are running the risk and operating without consent, which puts the insurance & the property owners at risk.

“Gaining consent to hold an event is very expensive and extremely time consuming, clubs are run by volunteers, they are at their wits end dealing with ever increasing demands from councils and state governments.

“I have been running national events since 2019 so I have good understanding of what is required, clubs that run AMCA will receive our support to gain consent along with representation to the legislators to improve the current systems.”

Patterson said everything was in place for the new association to start.

All it needed was funding.

“The management systems that will be introduced will help to ensure the longevity of the cover and the events that operate under the AMCA,” Patterson said.

“Racing will occur under them, AMCA, during 2025.

“The current crowd-funding is crucial to the securing the initial policy, it’s expected that affiliation and membership fees will provide the funding moving forward.

“Based on the amount of interest and inquires I have received; this is looking promising.

“(Racing) will be totally reliant on how soon we can secure the policy, the earlier we can obtain it, the more events we can hold during 2025.”

Motorcycling Australia says it is Australia's only recognised motorsport body by the FIM. Picture: Motorcycling Australia.
Motorcycling Australia says it is Australia's only recognised motorsport body by the FIM. Picture: Motorcycling Australia.

Motorcycling Australia president Roy Chamberlain said he wished Patterson all the best but reminded everyone there was only one recognised body for motorcycling in Australia.

“If he can pull something together then good on him,” he said.

“There is only one recognised body for the management of motorcycle sport in Australia and that’s Motorcycling Australia.

“We are recognised by the world body, the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme), as the controllers of motorcycle competition in Australia and they would be working outside of that.”

Chamberlain added the new enduro series, renamed from the off-road series, has nothing to do with what Patterson is trying to do.

The president conceded Patterson was right about the decline in licenses but said the peak body was doing all it could to fix it.

Getting the new constitution sorted was vital in fixing that.

“We recognise we are not growing and the initiative that we are working with the Australian Sports Commission on, the motorcycle improvement initiative, is all about turning that around,” Chamberlain said.

“It’s going to improve the operations of Motorcycling Australia, so we become a more efficient organisation and start building our membership.”

Head here if you want to contribute to the new organisation.

Originally published as New peak body, Australian Motorcycling Competition Association, formed by founder of the Hard Enduro

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Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/motorsport/new-peak-body-australian-motorcycling-competition-association-formed-by-founder-of-the-hard-enduro/news-story/b787eb7a3126328620a5dcd6ab4c9622