CONTENTS
A park is a living living-room, in which to do anything and nothing - rest your fallen arches, or roam through the wilder parts exercising your imagination, or simply breathing - most important the breathing. And it will become increasingly important as this reckless anti-civilisation gathers momentum. Your parks are your breathing spaces. Guard them, cherish them. I'm speaking particularly of the younger ones among you, because, if we win this battle, as I'm sure we shall, even in a world where the worst very often happens, there will be other attempts during your lifetime to steal or spoil your parks. Parkland is valuable, and greedy eyes see the money in it. So you must always be on the alert. Hang on to your breathing spaces in this developing and already over-congested city. Protect your parks from the pressure of political concrete.
| Patrick White addressing a Save Centennial Park rally in Sydney on Sunday June 18, 1972 |
After the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Albert Park, which was held on 10th March 1996, members of Save Albert Park monitored the dismantling of race structures and equipment and the condition of the park. Monitoring was begun one week after the Grand Prix, in the week beginning Monday 18th March 1996, and is continuing. It could not commence earlier because the park was not accessible to the public in the days immediately following the race.
In this report we document our observations of the length of time it took the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) to remove race paraphernalia. We report on the efforts to restore the park and note particular problems which are due to the conflicting requirements of motor racing and a public park.
In order to monitor the park effectively it was divided into nine areas and each area was allocated to one person to observe. These observers visited their area regularly, kept diary notes of activity and damage and took photos to verify and illustrate their notes. Other members have particular interests in the park or a relevant expertise; information was also collected from these sources to ensure that all aspects were covered and to verify the observations.
Temporary structures and equipment consisted of:
The progress of the dismantling is recorded in a week by week account of the activity in that period:
Temporary structures were trucked to a storage yard at the corner of New and Brunei Streets, Spotswood. The constant passage of large trucks in quiet residential streets has distressed residents.
Apart from causing inconvenience, especially for those wishing to use sports fields near Pit Straight where structures and equipment were concentrated, the slow dismantling has delayed Park reconstruction works. These are now taking place in the late autumn and winter months, which is not optimal.
In the first four weeks after the race, while structures were being removed, the damage to the park caused by the presence of barriers, grandstands, corporate facilities etc., was very obvious (photos 4 & 9). The trackside barriers had made troughs in the ground which are still evident (photos 8 & 11), although the grass is starting to recover. Underneath the corporate boxes and the grandstands the grass had browned off or died (photo 7), although heavy rain and watering have now greened a number of these areas.
Areas of bare soil were noted all around the lake and on both sides of Pit Straight (photos 1, 3, 10 & 12).
Race track run-offs caused much of the need for restoration work. There were eleven run- offs, nine of which were gravel covered. At Bend 14 the run-off was the asphalted car park and Bend 15 relied on half of the grassed area of oval 12. Special purpose areas which were covered with gravel were Oval 21 (photos 6 & 11),Egret and Black Duck picnic grounds (photo 13), soccer pitch 10 and multipurpose sports fields 7 and 8. The run- offs at Bends 6 and 13 were dyed blue and the colour remained visible after the gravel was removed. Reports of the Cowderoy Street drain running red showed an effect of other run-offs dyed red.
A separating mat was placed over the grass before laying the gravel but this was ineffective in protecting the grass when front-end loaders removed the gravel. MP&W is currently seeking tenders for a better system to protect the grass (The Age 29/6/96 pB17). Run-offs were cleared of gravel but remained bare, with pebbles, rubbish and debris on the surface for over a month. Some of these areas are still not restored.
Some instant turf was laid at the open space at Bend 12 but no further repair work was carried out for two months after the race. On 9th May work commenced to top dress and sow grass on the run-offs, except for the Black Duck picnic ground at Bend 11 which was still barren and puddled on 30th June (photo 13).
The soil used for top dressing was typical of that used on the ovals. It contained pieces of glass, china and rusting metal.
As is the case for grassed areas throughout the park (photo 11), by late June the crash barrier marks are still plainly visible across oval 12.
Drainage is an ongoing problem in many areas of the park. This is especially noted at the southern end of the lake, around Ross Gregory Oval, between Lakeside Drive and the lakeside running track, near the Community Playground and at the northern end of the lake. Throughout the park after any rainfall large puddles of standing water can be seen and the ground remains muddy for some days (photos 11,12 & 15).
Water run-off from the many roads on the western side is causing quagmires on the sports fields.
In order to satisfy the requirements of a racing track there are no gutters or drainage pits along the park roads. The ground has been shaped to form gullies (swales), which are supposed to channel water into pits. These swales were poorly formed and do not drain properly, causing extensive ponding after rainfall. In places, water runs away from the pit. Many of the pits were not ready for use for weeks after their installation. They are shielded to keep water out until they are "ready" (photo 12); some have broken or missing covers and some are silting up.
Sports Fields
Ross Gregory Oval had large bare patches which were repaired by laying instant turf, but poor
drainage means the subsurface is soft. The goal posts are located such that kicking a goal will send
the ball onto Lakeside Drive. It is understood that the first home game scheduled there for
Powerhouse Football Club was to be on 29th June. Junction Oval and the ovals on the "Village
Green" are being used although the surface quality is poor. The ovals around Pit Straight had
suffered badly, from both hasty surfacing with debris-filled soil and being covered with Grand Prix
infrastructure (photo 7).
On 29th March the MCG ground manager inspected the ovals, which were still out of action, and suggested that they required resurfacing (The Age 3/4/96 pA6, Emerald Hill Times 10/4/96 p3, and a ParkWatch observer).
South Districts were able to play on their oval on 13th April after the goal posts were erected on 9th April, but Powerhouse Rugby had to relocate a game scheduled on 20th April because their ground was not ready as promised. Football and rugby goal posts were not installed in the western area until 14th June, nine weeks after the start of the amateur football season. Some of the sports clubs were told that they may not have access to their grounds until the end of June (The Age 3/4/96).
Debris in the playing field surfaces, (photo 14), has already caused one major injury to a footballer, (The Age 21/4/96), and is believed to have caused another to a second player.
Oval 21 was so badly damaged by Grand Prix infrastructure and usage that the sports clubs were told it could never be used for football (The Age 3/4/96).
This oval, intended for Southbank Football Club, was ready for use in December 1995 but was almost immediately covered with race paraphernalia, including the Bend 1 gravel run-off (photos 6 & 11). Nothing was done to restore the ground for two months after the race, during which time it appeared to be permanently waterlogged. A tap near the centre of the ground, flowing at an estimated 35,000 litres per day, was left on. It was turned off by a Save Albert Park member on 9th May and the matter referred to MP&W.
Reconstruction of the oval - because of a drainage problem, according to MP&W - commenced the next day. After permission reportedly had been gained from the AGPC, the oval has been moved west by about one quarter of its diameter, which means less of the playing surface will be covered by the gravel run-off.
General
From mid-April some bare areas were covered with topsoil taken from the area to the north of
Junction Oval, ("Redgum Conservation Area"), and seeded with grass. Instant turf has been laid
extensively, at a cost of $5.50 per square metre supplied and laid, (after already having laid about
18,000 m2 of it pre-race , The Age 23/2/96). Examples are near the Clarendon Street gates, toilet
block near playground at north end of lake (photo 15), and at the
scars left by overpasses.
However it was not until mid-May that the major restoration works, needed especially on the western side of the park, were begun. Topsoil has been laid over some areas where dangerous debris was on or near the surface. Throughout the park, the topsoil used has encouraged weeds. Spraying against capeweed has been observed at the north end of the lake; the greening of some areas is due to weed growth, not turf.
Between 18th and 24th March 1996, asphalting began on the "bicycle track" which is parallel to the Light Rail. The-west side of the park is now divided by a network of asphalted roads.
While the Community Playground near Pit Straight was fenced in for safety during the Grand Prix, the fence was removed afterwards and it was not until 15th April that a metal barrier over the adjacent underpass was erected. Recently, a fence has been built halfway around the playground. Children's safety is of continuing concern as the playground is now so close to the road.
Post and chain fences have been erected around all the roads and many of the ovals and paths. These were notable for their uneven chain lengths (photo 8), contractors having been employed to reinstate them only to "best fit". At significant cost, a "chain doctor" was employed to even them out. The posts themselves were repositioned closer to the concrete road edge, at a reported cost of $40,000.
Trees
More than 1000 healthy trees were felled for ease of race track construction and to enable clear views
of the race for the television cameras.
New plantings were to be in two stages with 1400 promised in the first season, but before the race but fewer than 800 could be counted. Only 46 temporary trees have been replaced along Pit Straight, instead of the 100 promised (Port Phillip Leader pl 23/10/95), because they are expensive to maintain and keep dying. Early announcements about Grand Prix "enhancements" promised 5000 new trees (Herald Sun PM Edition p5 14/12/94). Recent announcements (MP&W latest plans; Port Phillip Leader p8 13/5/96) mention 2700, which include the relocated palm trees.
Remaining established trees and 1994/95 plantings of new trees are under stress. This is well illustrated by the new plantings behind the Pit Garages which are already displaying epicormic growth. One quarter of the elms, which are about 90 years old, in the double avenue near the former Ross Gregory Drive showed severe signs of stress (extreme leaf browning and leaf drop) in midsummer. The stress to Albert Park's trees is caused by a range of factors which may have been avoided with more careful management. A few examples of these are: race infrastructure was built very close to trunks, materials were stored against trunks, ground was compacted near trees, roots were cut to install in-ground service pipes, branches were topped to increase space for grandstands and provide clearer views for television cameras, and dead fronds are not being removed from palms.
Birds and Animals
MP&W now has a policy of removing all shrubs and bushes from the park. This has resulted in the
disappearance of undergrowth dependent species of birds, which are native birds.
Birds which feed in open grass areas, such as starlings, sparrows and domestic pigeons, all introduced species, are now predominant. The increase in pigeon numbers is particularly significant.
Possums were killed and possums and bats were displaced by the tree-felling and by Grand Prix works.
Certain aspects of work in the Park are of concern to some park users. They raise questions of safety, particularly for sports players and for parents of children wishing to play freely:
Shards of glass and rusting metal are extensively scattered over playing fields (photo 14). At times, lines of workers have been observed crossing ovals, buckets in hand, picking up rubbish. Because of the particular ground conditions in Albert Park the shards continue to work their way up through additional layers of topsoil.
Service pipes and conduits have been left exposed with uncapped ends or lengths projecting from the ground. Some valves and meters project from the middle of grassed areas without covers or protection.
A hole with a loose star picket has been left exposed, adjacent to the Community Playground and bike path.
With the race track having been built adjacent to the Community Playground there is now neither a fence nor distance to prevent children running on to the road.
Post and chain fences have been moved to the edges of roads (photo 8). This does not allow for ease of escape for pedestrians caught on the road or for moving vehicles from the path of traffic, in the event of breakdown or accident. Nor does it allow for pedestrian access to vehicles parked in designated spaces. The fences are obstacles for pedestrians moving around the Park, and are a particular nuisance for the less agile members of the community. There is also concern that chains around the perimeter of sports fields so close to the playing area could trip up players who over-run the boundary.
The chain link fence along Queens Road is potentially dangerous for any pedestrian who tries to cross the road or for a driver who leaves a broken down car because there is barely room to stand on the kerb land a long distance between gates. The explanation that MP&W gives for retaining the fence is that it is for safety - whether for pedestrians or golfers they do not seem to be sure; their explanation is contradicted by the open gates along the fence and does not account for the fence stopping short at each end.
Construction sites have been noticed without safety fences; for example , the skating half-pipe was left open when the surface was complete but safety rails were not in place.
Save Albert Park has received reports of sink holes (subsidence) appearing in the southern end of the park (photo 10).
Frequent car accidents are occurring in Lakeside Drive; it is thought it is because of the road design and inadequate speed control measures. Refer below.
The park roads were built for racing cars and are a challenge for standard cars and drivers. The chicane bends continue to take their toll on the less skilled and less sober. The adverse crossfall at Bend 6 of the track, at the intersection of Lakeside Drive and Albert Road Drive, is a potential source of accidents.
Problems with the road are evidenced by the numerous accidents documented by Save Albert Park (photo 8). The parents of one accident victim have discovered that police have been called to seventeen accidents between 1st July 1995 and end of May 1996. Official statistics are not available for less serious accidents.
It appears that many of these accidents were occurring at night and weekends, possibly involving drivers trying to emulate the Grand Prix. At one stage, before the race in March, MP&W tried to solve this by closing the road on weekends. There is a reluctance to instigate proper speed control measures for fear of damaging the race track surface; from 12th July the road will again be closed on weekends.
Save Albert Park has also received reports of vehicles racing in the park overnight on weekends. This is disturbingly loud enough to awaken nearby residents.
It can be seen that it took the AGPC over six weeks to remove the race structures and equipment and a further eight weeks to do preliminary rehabilitation work, although they had promised to be out of the park by Easter, which was one month after the race. The early dismantling was concentrated in the east of the park where it is most visible to the public. Hasty construction work and a restrictive budget in the initial reconstruction of the park to suit a motor racing venue and its schedule have resulted in the park being in a condition in which it is less able to withstand the onslaught of temporary structures, race preparations and crowds. The additional time that the ground was compressed and the grass covered made worse the damage caused to the park by the race.
It has taken more than three months for sufficient restoration work to be done for the park to be officially reusable for sporting clubs and, privately, many are still unhappy. Now, nearly four months after the race, the scars remain. The deterioration continues.
Continuing repair work and fixing of mistakes is proving costly. The secrecy surrounding the Grand Prix makes it hard to know how high this cost is and how much of it is being paid for by Victorian taxpayers and MP&W park levy payers. Is the AGPC paying to repair the damage its race causes? Would better preparation of the park have prevented many of these problems?
Given that the annual preparations commenced in November 1995 for a race in March 1996 and that restoration of the park is not yet complete at the end of June 1996, the legislated seventeen week occupation of the park by AGPC was clearly insufficient for them. In the light of this, the claim of "only four days a year" appears to be perhaps understated by nine months.
The following publications give detailed information about various aspects of installing a motor racing venue in a public park.
Save Albert Park Factsheets:
Suggested additional sources of information about the condition of the park and the impact of the Grand Prix on the park:
Top of this page
Search our site
© 1995 - 1999 Save Albert Park ; permission to copy is given provided this copyright notice is reproduced in full
Postal Address: PO Box 1300, South Melbourne DC, Victoria, Australia 3205
Telephone: 61 3 9690 3855 ; Fax: 61 3 9690 3544
Email: SAP (sapark@save-albert-park.org.au) ; you may encrypt email sent to us - click here or contact us for more information
