Save Albert Park - Beyond the Barricades - 3CR News Commentaries, October 2000

Beyond the Barricades - 3CR News Commentaries, October 2000
Save Albert Park ~ aiming to relocate the Grand Prix to a permanent track ~

Monday 5 February, 2001
One of the weekąs events was the launch of this yearąs Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Parkąs pit-lane. As always, the assembled lackeys and park vandals wildly applauded Ron Walkerąs speech - much the same speech heąs given at every launch, with a few extra noughts. So as always, the event will be a bigger financial success than any before (just donąt mention the corporationąs losses). As always, ticket sales are ahead of last year. ŚWeąll get over 80,000 corporatesą, he said; in fact, Śover $20m of corporate activity will be sold every dayą. (Whatever that means.) But then (The Age 30th) - a brand new Walker punchline: ŚItąs the biggest corporate event in the worldą, he said. So itąs official: a corporate event, not a sports event. And bigger than the WEF at Davos and Seattle. The Age report tried desperately to match all this: Śin less than five weeksą, it said, Śthe biggest and most international of all sports events to take place in Australia every year will roar into towną. Bigger, more international than the Tennis Open? Sports event? Not anymore. But as always, The Age had a bit both ways with its headline: ŚGP bosses rev up PR hype for raceą. Exactly, but then why print it?

The real puzzle is why such reports arenąt in the Business News. (Misleading advertising rules, probably.) Most international news on Formula 1 (like Mr Walkerąs speech) is about dollars and what the Economist last year called Śthe overpowering odourą surrounding F1 finances. For example, both The Australian and The Age (2nd) carried the news that five F1 car-makers want to buy a partnership in SLEC - the company 50% owned by Bernie Ecclestoneąs family trust, controlling F1. The Australian added that the teams were becoming concerned about the future because they knew little or nothing about the Śmyriad secret dealsą run by Bernie (who had heart surgery two years ago). The website formula1.com added the rumour that Bernie and the US equity company Hellman and Friedman will band together to buy back the other 50% of SLEC from the German EM.TV (the deal in which Fixer Walker scored a $100 m. fee last year). ŚInterestinglyą, says formula1.com on the Australian connection, the same equity company had shares in The Age's Fairfax company in the 90s and one of its present MDs is Brian Powers, a key figure in the SLEC deal, once a Kerry Packer lieutenant, still chair of Fairfax and a backer of Walkerąs The People Telecom. (Isnąt there a verb in front of that?) The website adds: Śitąs thought that heąs quite close to Bernie Ecclestoneą. Who isnąt?

All of which suggests that most of Walkerąs hype is addressed first to the international money-men, and second to any local politicians tempted to drop an event that, unlike the tennis, needs annual subsidies to survive. Just now of course the politicians are busy denying other alleged temptations that we wonąt comment on: pre-election donations by the Packers, Walkerąs Hudson Conway and tobacco interests; the decision not to hold a promised Royal Commission into the Walker & Williams Casino licence process; and the soon-to-be-Premierąs decision to drop aggressive Rob Hulls not only from the Gaming portfolio but also the Tourism portfolio. In June Ś97, as Opposition spokesman on tourism, Hulls noted that the GP had lost $2.7m. that year and ŚIf taxpayers are going to continue to foot the bill, then the Government must immediately tell us how much we paid to secure the eventą. We agree, still, and would now add the cost of the new contract to 2010 - a rumoured $9m - and ask if itąs on top of the annual licence and franchise fees. Surely the worldąs biggest corporate event - and even a State government - could survive an honest answer.

Meanwhile, independent MP Susan Davies is demanding disclosure by political parties of all donations from tobacco and gaming interests. Defamation law reform and some media guts would also help. Last week's Guardian Weekly item on the latest UK donations scandal says Śthereąs no political donation without stringsą and mentions Ecclestone's 1m. pound donation to the British Labour Party in circumstances involving the British F1 and tobacco sponsorship.

So perhaps Bernieąs best mate Walker is right: F1 does work in a truly corporate way - that is, financially and politically. Whether it works as a sports event, in a public park, is obviously another matter.

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Monday 12 February 2001

The PR handouts from the GP office must have slowed a bit last week, apart from the Herald-Sunąs usual Ferrari shots and which driverąs not marrying his American model. This might explain why The Age (7th) dredged up a long UK interview with F1ąs Bernie Ecclestone. Itąs Bernie on speed. The first and appropriate quote from him is ŚCrap! Absolute crap!ą. Weąre then told that his outer office has a sculpture of $100 bills (no doubt Australian). And later his political philosophy: ŚWe just shouldnąt have politicians running the countryą. Better billionaires like, well, Bernie. Victoriaąs corporate politics might very well suit him.

Not that the filthy rich always agree. According to planetF1.com Bernie has accused FIA President Max Mosley of Śextortioną in a row over money owed to motor sportąs governing body. Mr Mosley protested: ŚThereąs no question of extorting money from Mr Ecclestone. Weąre just trying to get his family trust to keep to their undertaking to pay $60m. due last July. If they donąt pay it immediately, the FIA may decide to make other arrangements.ą This threat referred to the first instalment of the $360m deal last year which gave Bernie F1 broadcasting rights for 100 years. The trigger to this little spat was a Financial Times article reporting Bernieąs failure to pay, and Bernieąs prompt accusation that his old mate Max was trying it on. ŚMaybeą, he said, ŚMax is having trouble with the tax system in France. It may be that the money hasnąt been paid because it hasnąt been decided yet where it has to be paid, in Paris, in England or somewhere else, for reasons to do with the tax situationą. Of course.

Ron Walker, by the way, works for Bernieąs charitable trust (not the other, really big, family trust). And before the 100-year deal, Bernie had the broadcasting rights to 2010 (yes, the year to which our new Premier extended the GP contract ). But Mr Bracks might be advised to check the recent Anti-Trust arrangements by the European Competition Commission, under which the FIA has had to amend its regulations to Śstrengthen the rights of motor sport organisers, circuit owners and participantsą. We wonder how this might apply to our own organisers, circuit owners and participants (including Save Albert Park).

But the European Commissionąs crack-down on the F1 bodiesą various conflicts of interest would seem trivial here. Ron Walkerąs involvement with the GP on behalf of the Victorian Government and close ties with Bernie exemplify what Ray Cassin notes in the Sunday Age 11th: ŚThereąs no such thing as a łreal˛ conflict of interest as opposed to a perceived one, because the conflict arises from the perceptioną. But he asks: ŚIs the strange tolerance extended to conflicts of interest in Australia at last beginning to fade?ą Perhaps, though the Premier doesnąt seem to think so. The keynote address at a coming Śministerial twilight briefingą hosted by tobaccoąs Philip Morris will be given by Industrial Relations Minister Monica Gould. Objections by the AMA have been dismissed by the Premier, who seems not to perceive that smoking in Packerąs casino and in pubs - on which heąs been strangely ambivalent - is an occupational health issue for workers in such places, and something an Industrial Relations Minister might have some interest in.

But there are conflicts and conflicts. That very corporate member of the Governmentąs Business Round Table, Portsea trucker Lindsay Fox, is again showing his legendary love of othersą open space (Sunday Age 4th). He has free use of Melbourne High School - specifically, the Principaląs parking spot for his Bentley and the school oval for his new helicopter - at his convenience. ŚHeąs an old boyą, said the Principal. And very rich. Like Ron Walker, who claims the GP is Śthe biggest corporate event in the worldą, and must therefore have real difficulty with the latest Australian Corporate Games: 18 sports in 17 venues, and over 11,000 competitors, but no subsidies, no temporary infrastructure, and no big PR (though The Australian had a spread on the 10th). All about workplace health, they say, and winning. Ron Walker himself is qualified to compete. Or might he find that actually competing - openly, transparently and for no fee at all - poses a sort of conflict of interest heąd rather avoid?

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Monday 19 February 2001

For the mainstream media, whatąs called the GP Śset-upą just isnąt news. The whole business is a set-up, of course, planned long ago to make big dollars for the few at the expense of the many and of a public park. But for the press and TV, Śthe set-upą - thatąs the annual turning of Albert Park into a corporate sandpit at the cost of millions - is a non-event. Itąs not mentioned between launch day (a couple of weeks ago) and race week itself, when the cameras and reporters are welcomed back. So the main sources of information on the devastating impact on the Park are the SAP Newsletter, this program and (since 1996) SAPąs annual illustrated Post-Race Report by our Parkwatch Group. The latest report will be launched shortly. But now Parks Victoria has decided to set up (the termąs catching) an email address for public input on Park issues, especially Śduring the set-up of the Grand Prixą. We look forward to the first Albertparkwatch Report, to compare with our own pioneering record.

Our latest newsletter also notes that the Park (which is 60% of the City of Port Phillipąs open space) has had only two activities scheduled from early December to the end of April: the Grand Prix and the Great Melbourne Bike Ride (which just uses the road). Evidence enough that the GP - set-up and set-down - dominates the Park for at least 4 months to the exclusion of all other events and most activities. What was that, Mr Walker? You said Śonly 4 daysą. Well, the COPP doesnąt agree, calling for the relocation of the event on the same grounds as SAP has long argued, of environmental integrity, residential/user amenity and road safety. That city, by the way, won the UN Associationąs 2000 Award for Environmental Management by Local Government.

The City of Melbourne News, on the other hand, seems excited by Ron & Bernieąs Hit-and-Run Show, announcing a Pitstop Challenge in Swanston Street one lunchtime, with ŚMelbourne identitiesą, and a head-to-head competition for Supercar teams in the same public thoroughfare. Great PR - but whoąs paying? And (Herald-Sun 13.2) the new Coburg-born owner of a F1 team Świll launch his two cars at a reception in Spring Street or Swanston Street with Premier Bracks and the Lord Mayorą. So again, Ron Walkerąs Śbiggest corporate event in the worldą commands the time and resources of our political leaders way ahead of more worthy causes. Much less attention was lavished on the Solar Car SunRace which overnighted in Melbourne last week. Itąs a Green Grand Prix from Adelaide to Sydney, including Melbourne TAFE, High School and University teams, and a unique Ścommunity focusą (Australian 7th). ŚThe public are allowed to come into the pitlane and at every stop are welcome to chat with the drivers and technical crew.ą (Of course SAP members have made this friendly community gesture at every F1 GP, only to be rudely removed by security.) But these Green cars run - or whisper - on ordinary public roads, such as Albert Parkąs used to be. Why then not relocate the F1 event, make Ron Walker patron of the Green Grand Prix at a restored Albert Park, and use him in all publicity shots to demonstrate the Green car slogan: ŚRunning on the Power of a Hairdryerą. On second thoughts, just relocate the F1.

After all, in race week last year some bold media hacks uttered a few truths that would support a big shift. Greg Baum wrote in The Sunday Age (12th) of Śthe confused moralityą of the GP, with its business first and sport second; of the Śinherent contradiction of an event celebrating fast carsą when the slogan of GP sponsors the TAC is Speed Kills; and the Śappropriation of a public park for what is plainly and unabashedly a private, profit-making exercise. The protestersą, he said, Śstill have a pointą. Patrick Smith (9th) declared: ŚYou canąt walk into Albert Park these days unless youąre sponsored. And if you believe the official attendance figures, get counted twiceą. Even Ron Walker (9th) seemed Śprepared to concedeą SAPąs case that a temporary track made the event a financial lemon. He then complained about having to Śendureą what he called Śthe pain and anguish of the protestersą. We can think of no-one less capable of understanding Śthe pain and anguishą of concerned human beings, or the non-dollar value of a great public park. But we promise his Śenduringą will continue. And the same goes for a State Government which, by renewing the race contract for Albert Park,, seems to have fallen for another Ron and Bernie Śset-upą. Thatąs the charitable view . . .

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Monday 26 February 2001

There was a pattern running through pre-Grand-Prix news last week. The sort of pattern people look for when they tap telephones and scan emails - recurring keywords that might give the game away: like Śwalką, Śwalkerą, Śwalk overą, Śwalk off withą. The keywords weąve noticed lately are all related to Śchangeą: words like Śtransferą, Śnewą, Śalternativeą and Śrivalą. The ripples spread from Melbourne to the great world.

The local clues are just hints of change. ABC 774 (23rd) reported complaints by footballers that Grand Prix noise made it difficult to hear shouted messages during practice, and by people at work that Śtheyąll have to shut their windows to get on with the jobą. Hardly new, but with growing objections to global hit-and-run, a genuine poll on the Albert Park event might surprise the Premier, especially if the facts behind the financial hype were made public. After all, EVNews tells us that The Age editorialised that an EV Newspoll in November showed 61% supported the Scoresby Freeway. But omitted that when asked where theyąd spend the freewayąs billion dollars, only 4.3% chose the freeway; the rest said public hospitals, schools and transport, and new jobs. Weąd say: ditto GP funding.

A wider ripple appeared in a letter in The Age (21st) with the heading ŚStage Grand Prix at Avaloną. The success of the International Air Show suggested that Avalon would be an ideal venue for a permanent motor sports centre, with good road, rail and boat access. And of course the first of the jumbos carrying this yearąs racing cars landed yesterday at Avalon Airport. Two days later planetF1.com reported a planned visit on 25th to Ballarat by a Ferrari - Śan historic eventą, it said. The curious headline ŚFerrari to visit the Alternative Duoą supposedly referred to two substitute racing drivers, but Śduoą isnąt motorsport language. An error surely for ŚAlternative Venueą, which makes much more sense as a hint of another possible location for the race. Moscowąs new permanent track, of course, is to be on an island well away from the city centre. And SAPąs March Newsletter reports on the failure to move the British GP to the Brands Hatch track on environmental grounds. And even Formula One News questions any government subsidies to upgrade the current track.

Then there was the interstate news - from Adelaide, the F1 venue to which Melbourne became the alternative. First, there was an MPąs charge (The Australian 6th) that the Olsen Government was Ścontinuing its culture of secrecy by refusing to release a cost and benefit breakdown of the Le Mans raceą (held on Adelaide streets on New Yearąs Eve). The usual confidentiality excuses - and then the dramatic news (ABC 774, 23rd) that the SA Government wonąt provide funding for the race in future. The $8m subsidy would be better spent on employing more nurses. No funding, no race. So another wind of change is blowing from the west and surely heading in this direction.

The world news continued the theme. A veteran race commentator agreed (Sunday Age 25th) that new rules and tyre supplier will introduce controversy and unpredictability . . Śespecially on circuits where overtaking is difficult (thatąs almost all)ą. We donąt fully understand a race which is not unpredictable and in which Śovertaking is difficultą. But controversial change always has possibilities.

And hot on the heels (or wheels) of that revolution is one which could make a race track - as opposed to an ordinary road - a bit unnecessary. PlanetF1.com reports: ŚFIA (the Formula 1 Association) introduces intelligent speed limits to F1ą. Next year thereąll be a Śvariable speed limitą for accident control. ŚCars will be equipped to help drivers run just under the limit, and those exceeding the limit will be given a stop-go penalty. Using this technology in F1 will make the ordinary road user aware of it - another example of technology transfer from F1 making a major contribution to road safetyą. An actual race begins to seem less and less necessary. Still, Śtransferą is a good word, though Śrelocateą is more precise. But then weąre told by Formula1.com that Bernie Ecclestone says heąs been approached by the car manufacturers about a possible rival racing series to the FIAąs World Championship. Bernieąs not beyond setting up his own Ścompetitioną, of course, but could it be self-defeating?

So: transfer, alternative, rival .. the clues are there. The winds of change are clearly blowing in, well, all directions - rather like Ron Walkerąs arms when heąs plucking big numbers out of the air. And when the wind drops and the music stops, Save Albert Park will have a seat. We canąt say where, or in what, Ron Walker will be standing.

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