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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 9 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 3275 ..
MR STEFANIAK (continuing):
That brings me to the second part of my motion, which is about recognising the social benefits that drag-racing brings to the ACT community. The provision of a permanent venue for drag-racing would allow people to pursue their legitimate sporting interests in a way which is safe and which does not have detrimental impacts on other members of the community. At the moment there is no legitimate outlet for drag-racing activity. I am sure that my colleague Mr Rugendyke would attest to the need to have outlets for people to pursue motor sport activities safely and keep them off our streets and away from our residential areas, where that sort of activity is unacceptable.
He went on to say:
The ACT Government really does need to get serious about finding a permanent location. This matter has dragged on for a long time.
I agree with him. Indeed, he was quite right in terms of the social effects and the fact that it would get some people off our streets, an ongoing concern. I recall that only recently about 90 people were drag-racing somewhere in Hume. It is a constant complaint that most of our officers get. That may well not occur if we had a dragway.
Mr Corbell went on to say as his third point:
I think it is incumbent upon the ACT Government at least to consider the option and explore the option in serious negotiation with the Canberra International Dragway on what form of support it is prepared to provide to enable a permanent venue to be established. I understand that a report on an examination of potential sites was put together around five to six years ago and identified a number of sites, particularly one in the Majura Valley, which may have the potential for a permanent drag-racing facility.
I am no expert on the environmental, social and other aspects of those sites and I would expect those issues to be properly examined, but I do think it is important that the ACT government get serious about negotiating with the Canberra International Dragway to find and reach agreement on a suitable permanent venue for drag-racing in the ACT.
I agree. That was said by Mr Corbell in speaking on behalf of the then opposition. What is happening now that he is in government?
Members may or may not know that a study was done in 1996, initially commissioned by Mr Lamont in 1994, into ideal sites for motor sport in the territory and the best site was in the Majura Valley for a full motor sport complex. About six sites were looked at. I have mentioned the 2001 study which I commissioned. Part of the report, an economic part, was sent to me in August of that year and the full report, including the environmental study, which I understand also got the big tick, would have been given to the current government.
The work has been done and a suitable site has been established. I understand that the leases there will expire at the end of 2005. I do not think that it would be an insurmountable problem for the government to go ahead, put its money where its mouth is, and build a motor sport facility, specifically the dragway which thousands of Canberrans voted for in October 2001 and, in doing so, assisted this government to get
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