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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 09 Hansard (Thursday, 19 August 2004) . . Page.. 3951 ..

for the government, I’ve gone to a number of residents meetings of constituents in the inner north—Hackett, Watson and Downer areas, but Hackett in particular—and they’ve got real concerns about the noise implications if there was a dragway in Majura. They already have concerns about the shooting range over there and they’re certainly hearing that. So I think you need to be really clear that there’s going to be a lot of community concern about a dragway in Majura unless you are able to show clearly that it’s not going to have a detrimental impact on the quality of life in Hackett, in particular.

MRS DUNNE (4.27): Mr Speaker, the matter of public importance today is the state of motor sport in the ACT. My colleagues Mr Stefaniak and Mr Pratt have spoken at length about our commitment to a dragway. While the dragway is important, there’s much more to motor sport in the ACT than just a dragway.

It’s appropriate that I talk about this; it’s not because I’m particularly a motor sport enthusiast, but I think that there should be some balance in this. It’s often considered a boys’ activity. I don’t claim to be a rev head anyway. I did hear Ms Dundas’s speech; it did add some balance to it.

I always take a bit of time to talk to my mechanic because he always has lots of useful things to say and gives me a few tips about what’s going on around town. There are a couple of really informed but committed people who are really committed to a whole range of motor sport activities in the ACT. There’s more than drag racing; there are a whole range of things; there are the people who are involved in car clubs and who run show and shines, the swap meets, the vintage vehicles, the special marques and all of that sort of thing. These are all very important and add to the complex tapestry of what makes Canberra a great place to live.

But one of the things that I’m constantly confronted with when I talk to people is that there’s always pretty much a begrudging approach to motorists and motor sport enthusiasts in the ACT, to the extent that my mechanic said to me the other day, “You know, Vicki, it’s just not fun to drive around Canberra anymore. I’d really rather not drive around Canberra. There isn’t the support for us.”

Mr Wood: Well, what do you want to use the streets for—for fun?

MRS DUNNE: Yes. There are, Mr Speaker, a lot of people who take enjoyment from simply driving a nice car. It might be on a Sunday afternoon going somewhere; you don’t have to be Juan Fangio; you might be just out to have a nice motoring afternoon. This is not supported in the ACT because of the decline in the quality of the roads, the lack of support for a whole range of activities.

I just draw members’ attention to something that serendipitously I picked up in this week’s Canberra City News:

Red tape threatens big events

Bureaucracy is threatening the future of festivals and major tourism events in Canberra, according to Summernats Event Director Chic Henry.

Mr Henry said bureaucratic hurdles were strangling tourism opportunities in the ACT, with duplication of resources and complex funding channels.

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