21 December 2006

Dragway to go?

| johnboy
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In another interesting snippet from the comments deserving wider scrutiny, Cranky had this offering yesterday:

Slightly off topic.

Stanhope is apparently about to announce that the Dragway has been canned. Problems with Block 51 Majura apparently.

What a great way to spread the criticism re the Bushfires. Communication overload!

Comment by cranky — 20 December, 2006 @ 8:49 pm

A hell of a strategy for taking out the trash, but it is two years until the next election thanks the Brendan Smyth’s genius.

UPDATE: Ah, I should have moved quicker, the Canberra Times has it now.

Another Update: Andrew Barr has put his media release online. Aside from the noise he says it would also cost too much.

“The investigations suggest that it would not be a practical or sound financial option to effect sufficient noise mitigation measures if the noise standards proposed under the draft dragway EPP were applied.

“Detailed technical work undertaken also suggests the facility will require additional funding of up to $3.2million, beyond the $8 million already committed by the Government.”

Mr Barr said the ACT Government has now exhausted all land options and would be writing to the Australian Government to request that they re-lease the former dragway site.

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I hope they don’t reopen the old one. The noise from that was horrific. And I thought it was Snow (airport bloke) who got rid of the original Dragway?

And it’s just come out today in the CT that Defence have received nothing in the way of requests to get the old Dragway site reopened.

equalitarian6:26 pm 22 Dec 06

If Stan the Man had been serious about honoring his election committment he would have been open to compromise on the proposal.
If the big ,loud cars upset the distant residents and benzine dusted wineries, then negotiate a noise limit with the dragway proponents.
If the whole deal is too expensive, then negotiate a lesser standard venue to be built upon over time using generated income, business sponsors etc.
The shafted motorsport people would have accepted a compromise proposal if they knew it was definitely going to happen.
Instead of wasting time, energy and money fighting pollies, they could have been developing their facility, within the noise boundaries prescribed in an approval agreement.

The whole thing was too open and shut. And the timing was cynical, as stated above.

No and Yes.

Two things Ralph:

1. Are you a party hack?
2. Have you seen the ACT Libs recently? Just checking that we’re talking about the same party here.

This gives them the opportunity to relocate the dragway site to Epic where it belongs.

I laugh every time I see one of those ‘I’ll vote for a dragway’ stickers on a back window in Canberra…

ralph
The only party capable of running this town and the rest of the country is Liberal.
what a load of shit .
they are all the same and the sooner you understand its a game to them and if they stuff it up what happends to them .
NOTHING AND THEY GET PAYED

LOL Gurunik.

But yeah, there’s just something about aircraft noise I just love, too.

i nuch perfer the dulcet tones of regular jet aircraft flights than the occassional rumble of a shit hot v8.
i live southside cos northside is full of tossers.

barking toad8:29 pm 21 Dec 06

Yes Ava, heard klundy on radio samuel barely hiding her glee at the “clever” tactic of putting it back to the Federal government to let them have the lease of the old dragway site so they could explore all options.

Carefully ignoring the question of why nohope had reneged (by changing the rules on noise) but not being prepared to admit they can’t proceed because the cupboard’s bare.

I hope the Federal government calls their blindingly obvious bluff and says they can have the site but only for the dragway and it’s got to be developed in 12 months.

That’d fuck ’em.

I was listening to Kate Lundy on 2CC when I was driving home from work. It looks like the Stanhope mob are trying to get her to push it federally.

This is a typical tactic of the Stanhope government. Make it look like they are on the ACT residents side while trying to make the Liberal federal government look bad. I say we give Stanhope the nickname of Mr. Teflon. Always in the centre of our problems but no matter the allegations nothing will stick!

I think Vicki Dunne is the only one with cred in the local Libs. They are no better. We just need to ensure we get a minority govt.
The Fed Libs are arrogant bastards and their time is up well and truly. Iraq and WMDs. IR and Work’Choices’. Interest rates. Bracket creep. The only good thing I can point to over the last ten years that Howard has done is the A-E school reports!

Is there anyone left in Canberra that still thinks this government is doing a good job?

No. The only party capable of running this town and the rest of the country is Liberal.

Funny how it would cost too much for the sound mounds at the proposed site. Didn’t slow them down with the new mounds on Hindmarsh adjacent to New O’Malley.

Perhaps Zissler lives close by?

el, I believe you are correct.

soon, the sound of burning rubber will engulf entire planets.

They’d have you believe it was most of north Canberra, Roccon.

youshould_knowthis3:06 pm 21 Dec 06

They knew they’d never build it for $8 million. And they don’t have the money.

One thing they tried to say was “We’ll only spoend $8 mill, no more.” Sounds fair enough. But costs increase over time, so the cost was $8 mill for the dragway in 2003 or 2004 dollars. Obviously two years later the dragway building costs would increase (road base, construction etc)

But the Prison was meant to cost $120 million – its now more like $140 or $150 million – but they haven’t stopped escalating the money available for projects like that.

They never wanted to build it, but promised it in the last election, because they must have been concerned at the dragway vote. only explanation

several suburbs, majura valley residents and ainslie/majura nature reserve users.
too many for the govt to buy out, compensate or pay for noise insulation.

I’m no big fan of motorsports but FFS, they promised one and once again they have lied. If I have the right to use one of the 9 (I think ) golf courses in this town then the people that want a dragway should have one somewhere. No matter where it is it will inconvenience someone.

Build the damn thing like you promised you pack of liars

seepi, affected area, how large an area are we talking about here……

Well I am thrilled – and massively relieved. As a resident in the affected area I was certainly worried about the noise.

barking toad1:55 pm 21 Dec 06

In a nutshell nyssa

But the mayor sends out the young’n to try and bullshit about the report on noise pollution

As with fires, this mob won’t ever admit they’ve fucked up. But could they please stop treating us as idiots with their spin.

They just don’t have the money.

Barr: “That’s just a fact I’m afraid [of] the situation, even with significant noise mitigation works that would add to the cost – that for the residents of the Majura Valley, the noise levels would be too great.”

The Majura Valley: An expanding Airport, Gun Club, Police Training Centre. Sounds indeed like a peaceful valley

It would have been politically stupid to close schools on the grounds of cost, and then build a controversial dragway. Is there anyone left in Canberra that still thinks this government is doing a good job?

noise abatement costs ??

What happened to the excess soil that was purchased for the GDE, that was NOT used to build the basic structure of the eventual extra lanes, and was then transported to the future Arboretum site ??

This could have been used to build an extra noise barrier at minimal cost.

Good decision, and inevitable anyway.

That’ll learn them to make promises they can’t keep.

another broken promise from our glorified local municipal council……
…..Sonic starts his holidays today too. Perfect timing.

barking toad10:57 am 21 Dec 06

Did anyone really believe this would go ahead given the mayor’s financial mismanagement that’s left the cupboard bare?

The noise pollution concerns are just an excuse to can it ‘cos they don’t have the money any longer. And claims of exploring the possibilty of going back to the old site is just an attempt to pacify the pro-dragsters which won’t work.

And it ain’t gunna distract the community from continuing to torch the mayor re the Doogan report which is the clear intention of the timing of the announcement.

Canberra times is reporting that locak gummint has turfed it and its now in the hands of the commonwealth.

Linky

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