| Ridge and Ruts - April 2026 edition |
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Operations Manager Update
If you haven’t heard yet, FWDV has moved! You can now find us at 9/653 Mountain Hwy, Bayswater 3153. As a result of the move, we’ve experienced a few temporary phone issues. While these are being resolved, please select option 2 when calling.
Many of our clubs have continued to do fantastic work supporting communities across Victoria. Several have been assisting in Fawcett and the Otways—an outstanding effort. If you’re interested in getting involved, please send me an email at operations@fwdvictoria.org.au. A big thank you to everyone who has already lent a hand
As the weather cools and winter approaches, campfires start to become more appealing. Please remember to follow all relevant regulations and prioritise safety when enjoying a fire. If you’re interested in learning more about safe chainsaw use or gaining accreditation to assist with track clearing, be sure to check out the article below on our upcoming chainsaw course.
We’ve recently been operating with a smaller team than usual and appreciate your patience during this time. If you’ve contacted us and are still waiting for a response, please rest assured that we’ve received your enquiry and are working through them as quickly as possible.
Finally, with rising fuel prices impacting everyone, we’re looking to better understand how this is affecting our clubs. If you’re able to provide some insight, please take a moment to complete the survey linked below.
FWDV - Rising Fuel Costs – Fill out form
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26-27 FY Fee Increase
It is time to review our Annual Membership Subscription Fees.
In accordance with our rules, each member of Four Wheel Drive Victoria (FWDV)—being each affiliated club—pays a fee based on its membership size.
The current Membership Subscription Fee for 2025/26 is $60.
As outlined in our rules, membership fees are adjusted annually in line with the Melbourne Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the preceding December quarter, rounded up to the nearest whole dollar. The CPI for Melbourne as at December was 3.1% The Annual Membership Subscription Fee for 26/27 will be $62.00
See below letter detailing the Association Rule and formula including examples.
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Presidents & Delegates Meeting
Four Wheel Drive Victoria are pleased to release the mintues of the previous President and Delegates Meeting. Please view these via the link below.
View Minutes Here
The next meeting is set ot be held on the weekend of the 16th of June, please mark this in your calenders and more infomation will be released soon.
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Thank you Jo!
Jo, our amazing Office Manager, recently decided it was time for a new chapter. She finished up with us in March and headed straight off on a well-earned trip—we hope it’s been a fantastic adventure!
Many of our members will know Jo as the friendly, bubbly voice on the other end of the phone, as well as for all the incredible work she did behind the scenes in the office.
Jo, you will be greatly missed. Thank you for everything, and we wish you all the very best for the future!
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4wd Courses with FWDV
Do you have any members of your club who are interested in 4WD training? They can now enrol directly online.
The Proficiency Course is a non-accredited course. This means that you still receive a high level of training, but you are not assessed. To view course outline and course dates: click here
Accredited 3 Unit Courses
Note all sessions must be attended.
This is an accredited course which combines the following 3 units of competency.
- FWPCOT3325 - Operate a 4wd on unsealed roads
- FWPCOT3326 - Recover four wheel drive vehicles
- FWPCOT3329 - Perform complex 4x4 operations
For more information regarding our Accredited 4WD courses, click here
To learn about the difference between an accredited and non accredited course please view our student handbook by clicking here.
Use the link here to find upcoming accredited courses: 4wd training
For Training FAQ's: click here
Please select that you are a club member to obtain your discount when enrolling into a course.
RTO 21605
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Please Submit Your Club Volunteer Hours
A reminder to use the volunteering data submission link: submit here The data is for activities such as track clearing, hut-rebuilding, clean up the bush, flora and fauna projects, disaster relief, community/special work, and much more.
Data will frequently be updated to the Government, Parks Vic, DEECA and other relevant bodies.
Note that the FWDV link will not replace the Parks Victoria (PV) ParkConnect (PC) platform, as that is for approved PV activities. Clubs, members, and groups are encouraged to still use and submit via PC, but our preference is to submit via the FWDV link as a priority and step one.
We thank all of our clubs and 4wd community that have been involved in the recent volunteer Fire Recovery work either located around the Alexandra area or other areas across the state, a massive contribution has been made to the various communities.
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Trackwatch Magazine
Please note that the Autumn edition of Trackwatch has been cancelled while a review of the publication is underway. This review will assess advertising opportunities, as well as production and distribution costs, with the aim of delivering an improved publication for our members moving forward. We are looking for feedback on the magazine, so please if you are able, fill out the following survey to provide feedback.
FWDV - Trackwatch Review – Fill out form
Don't forget to check out the previous Summer edition of Trackwatch on the FWDV website: Summer Trackwatch
FWDV welcome your club articles, please share with us what your club has been up to, what trips have you been on lately, what activities have you been involved in. If you have any other great ideas for Trackwatch please feel free to share them. Email your stories along with separate photos to office@fwdvictoria.org.au
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Club Anniversary's and Updates
Welcome to our newest club - Southern Cross 4x4 Inc.
There are a number of clubs celebrating major milestones this year, so we are looking forward to seeing and hearing all about their celebrations:
Otway Four Wheel Drive Club - celebrating 50 years
Subaru Four Wheel Drive Club - celebrating 50 years
Nissan 4x4 Club of Victoria - celebrating 50 years later in the year
Bellarine 4x4 Club - celebrating 40 years
Please share any celebrations with us, we encourage photos and articles so that they can either be shared on social media or published in Trackwatch.
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New office address
If you missed it in the last issue of Ridge and Ruts, FWDV now have a new temporary office.
Please use this address for all mail and if you want to drop by for a visit:
9/653 Mountain Hwy
Bayswater VIC 3153
Other details remain the same along with the Office phone number: 8872 7300, please select option 2
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