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Strategy for Ugrading Albert Park
After decades of benign neglect, plans for upgrading Albert Park were in place by 1990.
The Department of Conservation and Environment released Albert Park - The Vision in December 1991. In late 1992 the Park's new managers, the Melbourne Parks & Waterways, commissioned a further plan and the Draft Strategy Plan was released for public comment in early December, 1993.
Then, on 17 December 1993, Premier Jeff Kennett announced that the Australian Formula One Grand Prix had been taken from Adelaide and would, from 1996, be staged in Albert Park. The Draft Strategy Plan was abandoned, and replaced in May 1994,by the Final Proposed Strategy Plan. In November 1994 the Government unveiled its final plans for the car race, plus MP&W's new Master Plan.
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Permanent Pit Building
Promoted as a multi-use indoor sporting facility, this permanent structure is up to 10.5 metres high, 30 metres wide and 240 metres long. Located on the western side of Albert Park Lake, it physically and visually carves a major area of parkland in half
"...the visual character of Albert Park owes much to the raised canopies of its mature trees which allow wide-ranging views over considerable distances throughout the park." MP&W Master Plan, p53.
Such a structure was not included in MP&W's Draft Strategy Plan, and would never have been considered for a park if not for the requirements of the Grand Prix. Original plans for the Grand Prix promised that there would be no permanent race facilities in the park, including pit garages (GP News No. 1, July 1994). The Adelaide Grand Prix used temporary pit garages.
The building is euphemistically referred to as an "Indoor Sports Centre" but has proved usable only for a limited number of sports (netball and soccer) based on in-house team competitions. Garage No. 1 is now permanently leased by Melbourne Entertaining which advertises the facility as "Ideal for Conferences, Seminars, Staff Training, Cocktail Parties, Dinners, Theme Events" (The Age, 24/5/97). It also uses other ground floor garages for its functions.
The buildinq is linked to the race track by a 350m x 6m pit access road, another physically and visually intrusive area. A concrete vehicular underpass clearly for the use of Grand Prix support vehicles has been built at each end of the track straight.
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A Treeless Park Road
Due to the straight, grandstand, garage and pit access requirements an area 800m long, with an average width of 80m, must remain treeless. This area is almost 4 times the size of the MCG oval.
Most of the rest of the 'park road' is treeless because of the requirements for grandstands and corporate facilities.
"Within the constraints of the road layout, new avenues of exotic trees will be established alongside roadways, pathways, important edges and in car parks. Where space allows, double avenues will be created." MP&W Master Plan, p53.
Temporary in situ trees which can never mature or provide habitat, along Pit Lane are a poor substitute and have so far failed to thrive. These were replaced for the third time in November 1997.
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Treeless Run-off Areas
For the safety of car drivers, three gravel and eight grassed run-off areas have been constructed at bends in the track. These run-offs cover an area of about 110,000 square metres, six times the oval area of the MCG. These areas cannot be planted with trees and need complete redressing after each Grand Prix as gravel is laid straight on the grass
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Vegetation Policy Compromised
Already more than 1060 park trees have been destroyed. The race track has prevented Parks Victoria from implementing best planting practice. This is because of the location of track run-off areas, and requirements for grandstands and corporate boxes to have a clear view of the race.
"Trees in open grassland will be the dominant pattern of vegetation in the park."MP&W Master Plan, p52.
The original undertaking of 5000 replacement trees has not surprisingly been reduced to 2700; there was never going to be room while the Grand Prix is held in the Park (see Factsheet "Trees & the Grand Prix in Albert Park).
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Dangerous Park Roads
The reconstruction of Lakeside and Aughtie Drives to Formula One race track requirements has resulted in public roads which do not meet normal design guidelines. Bends are too sharp, have inadequate cross-fall (banking) or are simpiv confusing to motorists. Since late May 1995 when Lakeside Drive was re-opened, Save Albert Park and the Victoria Police have recorded 80 accidents involving single vehicles losing control at the S-bend chicanes in Lakeside Drive and at the four sharp bends in Aughtie Drive. At least 125 significant accidents have occurred on the race track part of the park road system , involving one death and 9 seriously injured.
Vehicles running out of control represent a substantial risk to picnickers and playground users. The planned bicycle lane along Lakeside Drive was dropped as it was clearly unsafe.
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Spectator Mounds
The Grand Prix Corporation has been allowed to construct a series of intrusive spectator mounds along Lakeside, Aughtie and Albert Road Drives in a attempt to improve the woeful general admission spectator facilities. These mounds represent additional permanent race infrastructure.
They cut off vistas of the lake and park, serve no useful recreational purpose and constitute a further loss of public open space. Plans for mounds in Princess Park were opposed by a majority of park users.
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Gross Misuse of Open Space
Parks Victoria and the Grand Prix Corporation have assured the public that no net loss of open space has resulted from the 'refurbishment' and 'enhancement' of Albert Park generated by the car race plans.
These claims depend on a manipulation of the meaning of words like 'open space' and 'parkland'. Defining a track run-off as a picnic area facilitates the argument that no open space is lost. These word games, however, do not alter reality. A run-off area for careering racing cars is not a picnic area.
At least seven sports fields were permanently lost to accommodate the track and others significantly reduced in size. The race infrastructure in total annually covers about 20 sporting fields and the golf course. The annual set-up and dismantling process takes over 4 months Ground surfaces are badly damaged and require costly restoration for periods of up to 16 weeks after the race. One oval is made unusable for the whole football season. The golf course is forced to close for six weeks.
The children's Adventure Playground which was built by the local community, once a safe 170 metres across ovals from Aughtie Drive, is now just 10 metres from the track straight. The safety and ambience of the playground is severely affected from January onwards by the works depot, truck movements, and the construction works in the Pit Straight area.
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