No Dragway For You

[low200]

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.as...m=12&y=2006

Thursday, 21 December 2006 View all news | Send to a friend | Print

Dragway dumped after study

Markus Mannheim

The future of Canberra's dragway now rests in the hands of the Commonwealth, after the ACT Government abandoned its plans to build the facility in the Majura Valley.

Sport and Recreation Minister Andrew Barr will formally reject the contentious project today on the grounds that it would be too loud and cost taxpayers too much money.

In contrast, the ACT Liberals have committed to building the strip if they win the 2008 election, regardless of its costs or noise levels.

Northern suburbs residents, who have spent the past two years campaigning against the proposal, reacted with "huge relief" last night.

But motorsport enthusiasts described the decision as a "cop out", and warned that the issue was far from resolved.

The long-awaited report into the environmental and financial viability of the dragway found it would not meet current noise pollution standards.

The study, which was completed in October, also found the facility would need an extra $900,000 to $6.8million of taxpayer funds, on top of the $8million allocated in 2004.

The preferred option a 14 mile internationally licensed track with lights would cost an estimated $12.88million, while the minimal option a 18 mile nationally licensed track would probably cost $9.31million.

However, the report also found that the drag strip was likely to be financially viable if it was built.

Mr Barr said yesterday he had exhausted all options, and would lobby the Federal Government to allow the dragway to operate at its former site near the Canberra airport.

The former facility closed in 1998, and the Commonwealth land on which it was based has remained unused.

Mr Barr said the environmental impact study gave him no choice but to rule out the Majura site.

"We would have to effectively rewrite the noise rules and be disrupting the lives of all residents in that valley, as well as a significant portion of north Canberra residents."

The manager of the previous dragway, Geoff Develin, said yesterday he did not want to make specific comments until he had seen the Government's report.

But he argued it would "defy logic" to declare the Majura proposal to be financially unsound or too loud.

While the former dragway had been 1.4km from the nearest ACT residents in Piallago, the new site was 3.7km from the closest suburb, Hackett, and "with a mountain in-between", he said.

"We had a dragway, fully funded by the Canberra community, and it was wrongfully closed. We operated in full compliance with the ACT motorsport noise policy ... and there was not one single noise complaint for the life of the dragway."

But the northern suburbs activist group, Dragwayaway, responded with "delight" at the news last night.

Spokeswoman Nicki Mazur, of Hackett, said residents were "thrilled" their concerns had been heard.

[Donnan]

And it those same people who complain about the noise that also complain about 'hoons'.

Give us some where to have fun with our cars, then we have no excuse to do it on the roads!

[race_snooze]

yet again the minority rule. Way to go f**kers.

[SKYLVIA]

gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

[MIVEC]

So who's up for a 3am drive through Hackett this weekend?

"Oh I'm sorry officer, my exhaust appears to have fallen off!!"

[CeJay]

What a lot of crap, the dragway doesn't meet the "new" rules for noise which the government decided to change just now, and isn't even law yet. The new dragway was to be twice as far away from residential areas as the old one. It's great when you can move the goal posts to get out of a promise.

[CEF11E]

It's ok. I have just heard there is a new dragway opening in canberra it is located on Minister Barr's driveway.

[Terminal]

Well if the Local liberal government said they'd build one when they're elected, and now it's up to the federal government (which is already liberal) then maybe we'll get one built after all?

[R32_Matt]

It's ok. I have just heard there is a new dragway opening in canberra it is located on Minister Barr's driveway.

Haha

ohh sorry Mr Barr my foot was resting on the brake when i tried to drive off your driveway!

[R3sp3ct]

Why dont we protest against the summernats and f**k up some revenue for these government c*&kheads. What a f**king joke, like mivec says, lets have a massive cruise at 3am through the streets!!

Who actually has a say with the dragway? Is it the residents close to the dragway and if so do they always choose areas where these same kind of people live???

[Baconer]

Cant remember the story with the old dragway but wasnt it closed down because new suburbs were built too close to it and the residents complained?

Wouldnt mind doing a cruise through hackett at night, remember seeing a video about these exhaust tips called whistle tips. Piece of metal in the muffler that squeals and can be heard about 2.5 miles away. Should be fun

[Bluprint]

Yeah well you know what.....

This was always going to happen, unfortunately.

Oh and MIVEC, I'm so f**kin in on that 3am cruise

[Bullet32]

As if we were EVER going to get a dragway...

The motorsport world would be comletely abolished and banned if the government had its way...

I seem to remember an event that was held in Canberra about 5 years ago called the Canberra 400.

People lobbied and protested for years to have that event brought to Canberra and the government finally said "yes, as long as it turns over a reasonable profit within 5 years".

But they only had it for 3 years until they shut it down because as they said "it didnt make as much money as what was spent to have it here"...

So what did the government do then??? They poured the same amount of money into FLORIADE!!!! - Who here can tell me that Floriade (which is free) could possible turn over as much of a profit as an international motorsport event that cost at the very least $30 per person to see!?

There will never be a motorsport complex in Canberra, no matter what government is in power.

There are to many greeny tree hugging prats with their heads up their asses for it to happen.

Canberra will forever be known as the boring, Politically correct, greeny prat filled capital.

Thats my rant

[low200]

couldnt agree more with bullet...

[Amaru]

The old dragway had full ACT government support, but was on leased land from the federal government. The federal government decided they wanted the land back and took it back... end of Canberra dragway.

Theres nothing reuseable at the old dragway anyway, having been out there recently the track is destroyed with weeds etc growing through it.

[Scooby]

Rumour has it that Stanhope got sick and tired of seeing his daughter come home every morning weak kneed, exhausted and with a dopey grin on her face when she was going out with a Skyline driver and he's hated anyone into modified cars ever since. Her boyfriend drove a GTR of course...

Hey let's give everyone the sh$ts by building a prison that we don't need and, and then discourage recreational motorsport. Maybe Stanhope is getting too much Bar er Barr.

Edited December 21, 2006 by Scooby

[CeJay]

Didn't ya know Stanhope needs some money for his precious arboritum,

[Sauce]

I guess they just figure Canberra has enough long, straight roads for dragging as it is...

This is pretty crap. Stupid conservative douchebags. Then again, who needs a dragway when you can have a neat lawn, a tiny hybrid car and beige pants?

[race_snooze]

If you guys want to do this properly then a protest is needed and organised correctly to. Dont look at me either.

[leech_]

lame...