Michael Danby (Melbourne Ports, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For more than a decade, my constituents, particularly those in Albert Park and West St Kilda, and commuters in surrounding suburbs, have, first of all, been restricted from and then denied access to the very extensive recreational facilities in the middle of my electorate—the Albert Park Reserve—by the Australian Grand Prix. The Grand Prix takes place this forthcoming weekend. The Melbourne Grand Prix is the first in the international grand prix season.

Recently the head of Formula 1, Mr Ecclestone, claimed that he had spoken to the Australian Prime Minister. Unfortunately, he had done no such thing. The local head of the grand prix, Mr Walker, explained that Mr Ecclestone gets his international leaders mixed up and apparently had spoken to the Premier of Victoria. This is an amusing and somewhat indicative example of the international grand prix understanding of local attitudes and personalities in our state and in Melbourne.

I think the Victorian government is coming towards a more objective evaluation of the Melbourne Grand Prix. At the moment the Victorian government estimates that the race is involved in a $30 million net loss to the state in terms of the set-up costs—versus the benefits to the people of Victoria. The Australian Grand Prix Corporation of course argues that the promotion of our great city internationally has an unseen value to Melbourne. This reminds me a bit of the argument that the local council put out for the great St Kilda Festival, where they spend millions to promote St Kilda, yet most people already know St Kilda and go there for its great entertainment value anyway. I think a lot of local people resent all of the drunken yobs—we had the term ‘tosser’ used earlier; I think that is appropriate—who tend to disturb many local residents during the St Kilda Festival.

The prospect of the Grand Prix being moved to 3.30 in the afternoon for the first time has been raised by the corporation. I notice Mr Walker, the Australian chairman, has proposed moving it to 5.30 pm, which would mean that it would finish around 8.30 pm or 9 pm. And Mr Ecclestone has demanded that the race be run at night. How a race of that nature could be run, even under very powerful lighting, on an inner-city track like that without dangerous consequences escapes me. I am absolutely opposed, as are local residents, to the already great disturbances that are felt being exacerbated by having this race time moved later and later. I hope the Victorian government has a strictly practical attitude towards the evaluation of the benefit of this race to Melburnians. (Time expired)