Consultation or window dressing?
Six months into the term of a new State Government is a good time to take stock of where we are in our campaign.

A more consultative approach is beginning to percolate through in the Government's dealings with us. We have now met with three Cabinet Ministers (John Thwaites, John Pandazopoulos and Sherryl Garbutt) and forcefully put our views opposing motor racing in Albert Park.

We have met also with the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research to discuss their economic impact study on the 2000 race and we have been promised a draft copy of the report for our further comments. We have also met with senior Parks Victoria staff who have offered to improve communication with ourselves and the City of Port Phillip, including a round table discussion in relation to the set-up and take-down of the race infrastructure, and regular meetings with Sherryl Garbutt as the Minister ultimately responsible for parklands. All this would have been unheard of under Kennett's regime.

However, is all this window dressing? Are we being given the usual run-around but in a more polite form? I suspect the answer is probably 'no', but it is still too early to tell, especially given that the ultimate decision rests with the Premier. Information properly used can still be equated with power and we are in a good position to make use of some major contradictions in ALP policy.

The Victorian Government wants to be regarded as a good economic manager, but the race is a poor investment of public money. It wants the high moral ground in relation to parks, and a parklands code, but its policies on motor racing in Albert Park are in direct contradiction to this. It wants to be regarded as open and accountable, but the dealings so far with Mr Ecclestone have been secretive and confidential.

Our short-term strategy is still to pressure the Government to make public all information about the race and its impacts: through the economic impact study, the Audit Review Panel report on the race contracts and through a public consultation on the future of Albert Park (which John Pandazopoulos has agreed to consider). All three Ministers have indicated that they see no great rush to sign a new contract to extend the race beyond 2006 and we have a strong argument for an open and public process before any new contract is considered.

We believe that we will be able to use the information promised by the Government to pressure the ALP to change its policy on the race. If this fails then we will need to rethink the whole campaign.

We continue to lobby Ministers, ALP Policy Committees, ALP branches, and all Members of Parliament, and to protest publicly through the Vigil, at Parliament House and other venues. We are also commissioning our own research on public attitudes to the Grand Prix to assist us in getting our message across.

Keep up the fight!
Tim Gilley

Thanks to all members and supporters who have written letters to ALP parliamentarians. Continued pressure is essential. Forward your letters and any replies to the SAP office.

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$100 million "success fee"
Some members may not have seen an interesting item in the weekend Australian of 13-14 May. According to the report "the other bigger slice of Walker's $180 million cash hoard reportedly came from a $100 million success fee received for his part in setting up the $2.4 billion sale of a 37.5 per cent stake in Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Grand Prix company to German broadcaster EMTV." Perhaps Mr Bracks could give us his definition of 'conflict of interest'.

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Grand Prix contracts
As yet there is no news on the audit review of government contracts, and we are still awaiting information on Grand Prix-related documents involving Parks Victoria from the Office of the Minister for Environment and Conservation. Save Albert Park has decided it may need to take more interest in the many minor contracts associated with the race.

For instance, urban management systems has had a contract since 1996 for the removal and reinstallation of approximately 10 kilometres of post-and-chain fencing around the track. One of the two directors of that company is Cameron Walker (son of Ron Walker). His wholly-owned company Enterprize Group Pty Ltd holds a 49% ownership of urban management systems.

According to Business Review Weekly (25 may 1998), "an old school mate" of Cameron Walker established the company, and the contract for the Grand Prix was "their first contract, valued at $45,000". At that stage Cameron Walker "took a keen interest in the business", but "wanted only to take equity". In 1997, however, he became the business development manager.

At the real business end, Eurobusiness (april 2000) reports that the US-based Action Performance International "is believed to have paid US $2 million for the overall merchandise and vending rights for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The deal, understood to be on a five-yearly renewable contract, is agreed with Government-backed Australian Grand Prix corporation."

Who actually received the $2 million is not clear, but it is clear that the licence fees and the income from this growing part of formula one business do not stay in Victoria.

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Grand Prix take-down works
After the slow and unsatisfactory restoration of the park in 1999, Parks Victoria indicated that in 2000 all infrastructure and restoration works by the AGPC would be completed 4 weeks after the race. While infrastructure was finally removed by 10 April, the use of a small work-force meant the take-down period dragged on unnecessarily, with large areas (e.g. the Fangio stand site) not cleared until the end of the period.

Four weeks of take-down means four more weeks of safety hazards and works vehicles on park roads. One serious accident to a jogger, believed to be directly attributable to poor work practices, occurred during this period. Parks Victoria is aware of the incident.

This year 15 sports fields were under restoration after the race. Parks Victoria reports that double-seeding and extra soil were used on damaged sports fields this year, and with the favourable weather, some fields were judged ready for use earlier than last year. Nevertheless, 13 fields were still unavailable six weeks after the race, and nine unavailable a week later. As at 19 May two fields were still not ready for use.

A recent inspection of fields now back in use has found that the majority still have significant areas which are bare and poorly grassed. It remains to be seen how well they stand up to match play over winter.

Once again the clearing and restoration of picnic areas, and other public open space, was clearly not a priority. Restoration works on the pelican picnic area (north-east of the lake) did not start until well into April.

The popular Coot picnic area was degraded by race infrastructure for two months and was not re-seeded till early April, as were the heron, cormorant, ibis and grebe picnic areas west of the lake. The major part of the dogs-off-leash area, a popular recreation area, was affected by take-down works and restoration until the end of April. The huge Fangio stand site, which forms part of this area, is still not ready for passive recreational use.

Evidence of Grand Prix vehicle and patron traffic can be seen still in other open space areas, notably the sites of the Fangio stand, the Kinhill site office, the workers compound and the pit exit suites. Scars resulting from the crash barriers remain, and black geotechnic sheeting continues to surface at the children's community playground.

Satisfactory restoration and maintenance of the park is proving to be impossible, even under the most favourable autumn weather conditions.

The AGPC is obviously un-willing to significantly shorten the set-up and take-down period to reduce disruption, lessen the damage and thus facilitate restoration. The continued closure of the golf course for over four weeks is some measure of this. Work practices and control of works traffic are still far from satisfactory.

Parks Victoria's resources are severely stretched by the annual restoration efforts.

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Park traffic accidents continue
Three major accidents have been recorded on roads in the park since the end of April. On the night of 27/28th April a car lost control at the turn next to the children's playground, smashed through the post-and-chain fence, struck a group of wheelie bins, and then hit the steel fence surrounding the playground.

In the following week a south-bound car lost control on lakeside drive on the sweeping bend into the south chicane, smashed through the fencing, taking out six posts, and then shot along the grass before coming to rest against a steel lightpole. Over the weekend of 6-7th May another southbound car failed to complete the turn out of the south chicane and knocked out nine posts in a row near the Keg restaurant.

Parks Victoria received the final traffic management report from its consultant in June 1999. This report contains several recommendations concerning traffic calming, signage and lighting, which were supposed to reduce the incidence of accidents. We're not aware that any of these measures have been implemented.

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A vision lost
"Through traffic on Lakeside Drive and Aughtie Drive is entirely inappropriate, unsafe and an alien use for parklands. Albert Park should be managed on the same lines as Centennial Park in Sydney, where cycling, horse-riding, jogging, picnicking, sailing and rowing can be enjoyed in relative peace - a rare commodity in the inner suburbs if the transport lobby has its way."
(extract of a letter from james cass, chairman, albert road and environs action group to the emerald hill times, 5/10/78). Mr Cass had a vision, which not surprisingly did not include the nightmare conjured up by Melbourne major events, Jeff Kennett and the casino/hotel industry lobby.

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Taxpayers' $747,00 for flyovers
The Commonwealth Minister for Defence, John Moore, has admitted in answer to Michael Danby's question on notice, that the Air Force flyovers at the Grand Prix have cost a total of $747,000 since 1996, and that the 2000 Grand Prix alone cost $178,000. All this for a privately-owned event.

In view of the local concerns about the risks of the flyovers, it is worth noting that in 1997 the then minister stated that "defence took responsibility for any injury or damage that might have been caused by the activities of defence aircraft or the army parachute display team."

In other words, not only is the Australian Grand Prix corporation given these 'services' free of charge but they are not required to take responsibility for any accidents that may occur.

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Permanent degradation of the park
Take a closer look
A close inspection of the large areas of passive recreational parkland, picnic-grounds and the aprons of sportsfields which are used as sites for Grand Prix infrastructure will readily reveal that these areas have been degraded to a state well below acceptable park status. The so-called 'restoration' process is either a cynical exercise in deception on the part of the Grand Prix corporation, which is legally responsible for the process, or an indication that the corporation is not the least bit interested in the welfare of Albert Park, except for those aspects in which it has a vested interest.

It should be acknowledged that many people genuinely believe that the park 'looks good' after the damaged areas have been Re-grassed. And some areas do - superficially. From the road, in a car or on a bicycle one might get the impression that these re-grassed areas are carpeted in thick, healthy and well established grass. But the illusion is well and truly dispelled when you walk over these areas.

The grass covering is extremely uneven, thick in patches and sparse or non-existent in others; there are large areas of bare soil or gravel, extensive mud patches and washed-away areas caused by rain or watering. In none of these re-grassed areas does the covering even remotely resemble the grassland found in areas of the park which are not subjected to Grand Prix works and infrastructure.

There is a very simple exercise to verify this. First, walk on some of the grasslands not subjected to Grand Prix damage - the grassland surrounding ovals 1 and 2, or the grasslands which make up fields 4, 5 and 6 at the southern (Fitzroy Street) end of the park, or the slopes surrounding the bob jane stadium at the northern end. Then walk over the 'restored' areas described below

• the grassland area immediately in front of the pit buildings, between aughtie drive (pit straight) and fields 14 and 15 - the dogs-off-leash area.

This area, 350 x 35 metres, in the very centre of the park is a downright disgrace. Whatever vegetation survives from the previous year's event is totally destroyed during the four months Grand Prix occupation. About a month after the event 'restoration' takes place. This consists, firstly, of removing, as far as possible, the truckloads of tan-bark, gravel and other cosmetic materials brought in immediately prior to the grand prix week to conceal the damage done to the area during the set-up period. Following this, soil is spread and a token effort is made to re-grass the area.

That's it. That's the restoration!

Some months later this predictably futile operation produces a wasteland patchwork of bare sandy soil, weeds and grass, unevenly and sparsely distributed. After rain, large mud pools form and reinforce the impression of neglect and indifference.

11 weeks after the race
This 'restoration' procedure is enacted on approximately 20 hectares of parkland/grassland in prime positions throughout the park where it produces similar unacceptable results. Here are some other sites:

• the area between the pit buildings, the northern underpass, oval 17 and Aughtie Drive
• the grassland surrounding the works depot and adjoining oval 21 and the community playground
• the grassland between oval 20 and Aughtie Drive, except for the well-tended area where the Qantas logo is displayed during GP week
• the 'hump' on the north side of the entrance to Carousel restaurant (most of the surrounding grass which is not used as a site for GP infrastructure is in very good condition)
• the run-off areas at the north chicane on lakeside drive (turn 9)
• Black Duck picnic area (turn 11)
• the south chicane on Lakeside Drive (turn 12)
• cnr. Lakeside Drive & Ross Gregory Drive (turn 13)
• cnr. Ross Gregory Drive & Aughtie Drive (turn 14)

There are some areas where, apparently, no attempt has ever been made to re-establish grassland since the racetrack was completed in 1995:

• the long connecting strip adjoining lakeside drive between black duck picnic area and Pelican Point picnic area. As well as this strip, large areas of both picnic areas are so desolate and uninviting, because of their Grand Prix usage, that neither area is ever used by picnickers.
• the aprons of ovals 11 and 9, between the ovals and Aughtie Drive. These are wasteland areas of gravel, stones, weeds, clumps of grass, and bare soil. The areas described above are passive recreation areas suitable for unstructured recreation activities "such as walking, cycling, health and fitness activities, informal ball games, picnicking, children's play, sitting, eating, and casual use of the lake, pathways and trails." (draft strategy plan for Albert Park, December 1993).

The plan noted that "all of these activities have to be provided With well landscaped environments that are pleasant, inviting and interesting..." (p. 41) Far from 'landscaped environments that are pleasant, inviting and interesting' the extensive passive recreation areas referred to here are a discredit to Parks Victoria, which manages Albert Park, and to the Grand Prix corporation which shows little interest in repairing the damage for which it is responsible.

Year by year the Grand Prix gradually encroaches on the park in the form of new permanent works - viewing mounds, road widenings, permanent underground grandstand bases, underground concrete slabs, and so on. The blighted areas which never fully recover from year to year have to be added to the list of those parts of the park which are permanently degraded.

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From the vigil
1725 days ... and still counting!
Q: what was born on 5th November 1994, is more reliable than the dog-on-the-tuckerbox, and is visited by more interstate and international visitors than the Formula One Grand Prix?
A: that's easy - the Save Albert Park vigil.

Starting with this issue, the SAP newsletter will feature a monthly column, written by members of the vigil. In the coming months we will try to explain the satisfaction that one gets from a shift at the vigil, how the opportunity to talk with members of the public, both those who support us and those who don't, has added to our 'people skills' and the amazing and instant camaraderie that exists between fellow vigillers.

You will learn how we distinguish between the sound of a friendly toot of a car's horn and an unfriendly honk, and exactly how to give a friendly wave to an unfriendly honk that is certain to spoil the entire day for the offending driver. While our vigil diary is destined to be a best seller when it is published, certain entries can only be described as 'blockbusters' and we will print as many of them as possible in this column.

Much of the news is heard first at the vigil. The majority of rumours (both the reliable and the not-so-reliable) are discussed under our yellow umbrella and until you have had a stranger walk up and say how much they admire what sap is doing and how impressed they are with our resolve - you haven't lived. And that happens every day at the vigil.

We display two large banners at the vigil and each can hold a message of up to 40 letters (including spaces and punct-uation). We also have a whiteboard that can accommodate several sentences. If you have a bright idea for a message for either the banners or the whiteboard, please ring the office and let us know. It's your chance to speak to thousands of people a day via the vigil banners.

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Email tree
We have recently been victims of the new technology and suffered a hard disk crash, causing us to lose our 'email tree' of members (everything else was correctly backed up).

Could members who have email send one to richardb@netspace.net.au as soon as possible so that we can quickly restore this mighty means of communication.

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Pam Denton exhibition
Artwork based on Australian plants
Artistcare gallery, 276 Park St, South Melbourne
27 June - 6 July (Mon-Fri 9-5.30, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4)
Exhibition opening: Tuesday 27 June, 6-8 pm

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Correction
The article "Black Swans' Lake" in the May newsletter reported there were 2000 black swans on Albert Park Lake. The number should have read "200". The editor apologises to our resident bird expert and the black swans for what was a typographical error.

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Those "freebies"
A recent re-reading of the 1996 impact report uncovered the interesting statistics that patron surveys found that 30.7% of patrons had been given tickets as a gift/other or invited to a corporate box. Significantly, 33% of interstate patrons fell into this category.

Overall, only 59% of individual patrons had unambiguously purchased their tickets to attend the event. It will be interesting to see if the 2000 survey contains this question.

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Bondi warriors
On Monday 8th May work commenced on Bondi Beach for two temporary stadiums to seat 13,000 spectators for the Olympic beach volleyball event. There was a seven-hour delay while police removed protesting 'bondi warriors' who had buried themselves in the sand.

There are plenty of parallels to the Albert Park Grand Pix protest. Bondi Bach is a unique and highly-valued public open space, enjoyed for generations. It has been taken over by an all-powerful government agency for the purpose of adding lustre to a 'major event'. The pressure to use the Bondi site apparently came from a major overseas TV network, which needed a sydney icon to help attract advertising.

The sop offered to the local community is the promise of increased tourism and substantial economic benefit. An alternative site could have been found and a permanent asset built. Olympic volleyball does not have to be played on an actual beach; Atlanta staged the event over 200 km from the sea.

Instead, money will be wasted on temporary infrastructure, community and sports groups will be evicted from their normal facilities, and the most important public amenity in the Bondi area will be disrupted for five months. And to complete the parallels, the Bondi warriors are being labelled 'anti-Olympic', when, like the so-called 'anti-Grand Prix protesters', they are not opposing the event, but the inappropriate location.

The warriors intend to mount a vigil on the beach and keep the protest going right up to the Olympics.

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Parks' festival in Albert Park
Save Albert Park had an 'official' display marquee at Parks Victoria's parks' festival on 7th May. Aside from providing an opportunity to meet with Sherryl Garbutt, the Minister responsible for Parks, and Mark Stone, CEO Parks Victoria, the day was used very effectively to promote the group and its cause. It was a chance to display photographs and maps showing damage to the park, material on the loss of birdlife, and to publicise the road safety issue by way of "TAC-man" (the post-accident vehicle parts sculpture).

The huge and always dramatic parklands flag was unfurled and carried by hundreds of spectators to the accompaniment of the band and a very supportive commentary on the PA system. 'Lemon on wheels' balloons and children's rides in the 'lemon on wheels' cart (pulled by taxpayers) were popular and helped attract attention to the displays.

Thanks to those who organised and staffed our display and to members and supporters who turned out to fly the Parklands Flag.

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