What do I expect from the Canal & River Trust council members?

(posted by Cath)

Not surprisingly we've been discussing what the 'boater on the canal' needs  from the 'boater representatives' on the Canal and River Trust Council.  This is my take on it, Sarah (Chertsey) has her own points.

• Understand that the role is to represent the needs of boaters first and foremost
• Be available to the boaters that he/she represents
• Be able to appreciate and understand the different needs of the people that he/she represents
• Be able and willing to broker a solution to difficult problems
• Be clear headed and able to see the long term implications of policies
• Not be afraid to disagree if it is clear that a policy is unwise, or not adequately thought through
• Be able to fairly weigh the disparate needs of the people that he/she represents, and give appropriate weight to those needs
• Be able to bring considerable boating experience to the table
• Have an appreciation of the history and heritage of the canal and a wish to preserve it in an appropriate manner
• The representative cannot be a member of all boating groups, that is impossible, but the representative must be able to appreciate their needs and represent them fairly

This is what I want to see in the 'boater representatives'.  The representatives may also be walkers, cyclists, anglers, or whatever, but their prime role is to represent the boaters.