WHY IS THERE A-About Us
The Australian National Rabbit Council Inc was established so that it could coordinate and promote Rabbit Clubs and interest groups throughout Australia. Below is what we started our planning on.
We hope to use this website to inform all rabbit exhibitors, Clubs and interest groups about our progress towards the development of the National Council. We also hope it will promote discussion and provide many good ideas and suggestions. Many of our goals and plans take a long period of time to set up and to operate smoothly. Slowly we have set up a Breed in Development program, a Stud name database, an Australian Championship system and Judge training guidelines.
An Elected Committee of experienced Rabbit Exhibitors has been set up. These Members represent most states of Australia . They are all keen to work for us on the Australian National Rabbit Council.This article tells why we needed to set it up.
Why did we need a National Rabbit Council? ....the following article was our original "about us" page. We have now grown into a fully fledge National body with almost three years behind us and our first National Convention held in March 2014.
Many people will be asking this question when they hear about the ANRCI Steering Committee. And it is a very good question. And it is why the Steering Committee has been formed to examine the feasibility of having a National body – and how it could work.
The experienced Rabbit people that make up the Steering Committee would not be putting their time and effort into this venture if they did not believe that it would be advantageous to the Australian Rabbit Fancy. They certainly have plenty of other stuff to keep them busy!
1. Perhaps the most important thing to remember about a National Governing body is that it will not change the way your local rabbit Clubs run to any great degree. The National Rabbit Council is not there to change the way you do things now but to hopefully allow all the rabbit Clubs across Australia to improve the service they give to their members and to co-ordinate some activities to all Rabbit Fanciers across Australia. The only rules that affiliated Clubs would be expected to run under National Club rules would be the show rules (as happens with the BRC).
To quote the BRC rules: All affiliated organizations shall retain freedom of action and to be at liberty to carry through any programme within their own sphere as they may deem desirable or which may be most suited to their particular locality, except that all organizations affiliated to the Association must hold their shows under BRC Show Rules.
2. Anyone who has read the BRC rules will know that there are some rules in there that we do not/cannot run by. So to say Clubs run under BRC rules is somewhat of a misnomer. Most of us run under most of the Show Rules but I don’t believe anyone runs under all the Rules. The BRC has an Investigation Committee but I am not aware of any Club that has one in Australia. The WARCI had one for a number of years but had to dissolve it in the end because they were really too small to support one. Also many of the BRC rules relate to show support and as most Clubs run as individual Clubs and not under a governing body they do not need to apply for show support. With a National Club the rules would relate to Australian conditions and allow for the long distances in Australia and the introduction of non BRC accepted Breeds. So Australian Rules for Australian Rabbit Clubs.
3. One of the huge advantages to being an affiliated Club to the Australian National Rabbit Council would be that they would not have to pay their own Public Liability Insurance as they would be covered by the ANRCI Insurance. At the moment many Clubs – especially smaller ones – struggle to find the large amounts required for their Public Liability Insurance. As an affiliated Club they would pay ANRCI a Third Party Insurance Levy (which would be a small percentage of their previous payments) and would then be covered. This is a service the BRC also offers to its Affiliated Clubs.
4. Another service that ANRCI hopes to set up is a National Stud Register. The idea of having an Australia wide database of stud names has been discussed – and generally supported – for many years. This service would be relatively easy to set up and maintain with the cooperation of the affiliated Clubs. It would allow already duplicate Stud Names to be acknowledged (perhaps with the state of registration added to the stud name – Stud Name (WA)) and to ensure that future stud names are not duplicated. It would also allow members to use the stud names in every club and not have to pay separate registration fees at every club they wish to show in. Our Committee is looking at the feasibility of having a Stud Name Register, the best way it could be run and the rules under which it could be run.
5. The Steering Committee is also looking at the feasibility of having an Australia wide Ring Register. There are many ways this could be done and all the options will be examined to find the best way that it could be set up. In the future, we may be able to access our own rings and not having to bring them in from England. Just having our own rings will save our Clubs all having to buy and import rings (costs of exchange rates and postage) and decrease the time of ordering and receiving the rings.
6. An Australian Breed Standard that allows non BRC standard breeds would be a long term goal. This would be a long process and would require a lot of research and discussion. There are many breeds and colours we will never have here in Australia but there are some unique breeds that we do have that deserve to be in an Australian standard. These are all areas that the Steering Committee will be examining to find the feasibility of setting up these processes within an ANRCI. We expect that some of these subjects will produce a lot of discussion – both for and against – and also many different ways that these things could be set up. We welcome good sensible ideas and suggestions. We will look at all of them and try and find the best way that these things can work in Australia. We feel that Australian rabbit breeders deserve an Australian governing body that is developed with our own local conditions in mind. We hope that you all feel that this is a huge step forward for the Rabbit Fancy in Australia and that you come forward with lots of positive ideas to help us develop the best Australian National Council possible.
And from that as you go through your website you will find all the info you need and if not please contct us so we may help answer your question. Thanks.