Repco Rally had 'minor' impact | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales

Well, Dr Phillips is right about one thing - the Repco Rally caused enormous social disruption and cost the community dearly.

The community should respect experts like Dr Stephen Phillips. Sending emails of abuse demonstrates a lack of respect for highly experienced professionals that conduct valuable work in our community.

Dr Stephen Phillips and his associates conduct critical work that benefits our local environment, yet so called environmentalists attack him because the report doesn't back their opinion?

It would appear that the same group of people that have been labelled bush lawyers are now self appointed environmental consultants. Using their opinions instead of experience and expertise to find fault with anything that upsets their way of life.

So how does this road kill compare with the current trends? The RTA does not offer a lot of information on the number of road kill, and has been criticised for not reporting the true figures in the past.

The website http://roadkill.imaginocean.com.au offers some interesting insights. With 32 animals being killed every hour in Tasmania, and very little information on local road kills, 14 over four days seems insignificant.

The facts and figures published to date, demonstrates the minimal impact the rally had on the environment. Those against the rally failed to deliver anything to the contrary, yet continue to make misleading statements.

Looking at the evidence, it's clear to see that locals didn't care for the environment. They cared more about their way of life, and opposed the event as a result of the Motorsport Bill, and the loss of their right to argue with the rally taking place in their backyard. They didn't look any any impacts from the hundreds of rallies held around the world, rather attacking the government and it's policies.

I attend countless rallies throughout Australia each year, and they are run without any fuss. These events are run in state forests, and not on public roads. You don't hear of people trying to stop them, but rather welcoming them and the influx of people to their small towns. The only difference between these events and the Repco Australia event is ownership of land.

The World Rally crossed public roads, which meant it became a huge issue for those who lived along those roads, going against their way of life. The environment had nothing to do with it, and was just a convenient excuse. The rally used existing roads, for no more than 6 hours during daylight hours. And will continue to do so, once every two years.

Self importance of a small group of locals who own the land either side of the rally route, and the belief that they can decide who uses it has caused a lot of issues.

I believe their true reasons for opposing the event are yet to be uncovered. False information, and fear mongering by those who strongly opposed the event had many locals worried about what might occur. Some residents I spoke with said that thousands of spectators would be converging on their already dangerous dirt roads.

Rally Australia provided a very extensive website informing the public of spectator points and road closures. They also visited locals on rally stages to speak in person about the rally. The reality was, of the 13 gravel stages the cars raced on, only five contained a spectator point. A spectator point must meet a long list of safety requirements, therefore most of the stages did not see paying spectators but rather thousands of locals who camped out on properties to watch for free.

Many of the problems encountered were a direct result of a few protesters taking the law into their own hands. Traffic problems along Kyogle Road, a direct result of protesters who drove at 20-30km/h to slow traffic. Safety problems caused by protesters who blocked the road at Byrrill Creek by placing large rocks on the road. Loss of business for some locals due to protesters putting a negative spin on the event and discouraging visitors.

Protesters were reported to have thrown rocks at cars on Byrrill Creek, evidence to support this was not found. While protesters jumped on the news that evidence no longer supported the claim, they did not mention the competitor who did have his car rocked. Or the boulders placed on the road. http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/...

According to a press release by Rally Australia, people did place the drivers life's at risk throughout the rally by placing rocks and boulders on the road. Again, demonstrating that several people against the rally are willing to risk others life's to meet their own agenda's. http://rallyaustralia.com/rally-austr...

All the evidence so far suggest that the environment is not at risk, but rather the locals way of life for 6 hours every two years. While they claim to stand for the environment, they rejected the offer from Repco Rally Australia to carbon offset the event through tree planting. Their behavior suggests that they are not being honest about their concerns, and will not accept any evidence that disputes their claims.

In a news article today, Andrea Vickers of No Rally Group stated that, "The very reason why people opposed this event was because it promotes unsafe behaviour - that speeding is unsafe behaviour." It seems that No Rally Group will try to find any excuse not to host the rally. I find it funny that they are now trying to link a sporting event, that displays the skills of the worlds best drivers with speeding. If anything, the locals that have been hooning up and down the local roads for years might wake up to themselves and take up a sport. Or get involved with something that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Anyone that lives in the local area knows all too well about the teens that drive up and down the roads at night. Drinking huge amounts of alcohol and popping pills on route to the weekend doofs and parties.

I recently enjoyed the World Rally in New Zealand, and cannot say enough about the country embracing the event. From the government allowing a special stage to run on public roads through the city's CBD, to the kind locals who invited me to take photos from their properties and enjoy BBQ's together. New Zealand has been hosting the event for 40 years, and see it as a privilege.

While a motorsport event isn't everyone's cup of tea, risking lives and fabricating reasons to try and stop it is a losing battle. And only makes this country look stupid to the rest of the world. Come 2011, I hope people look at themselves and rethink the word peaceful. Be the change you preach.

WTF2484, very appropriate name. So the protesters aren't responsible for their actions? Their behavior didn't lead to social disruption? Have you attended any rallies out side of the Repco Rally, or you talk from the huge experience you now have from the single WRC round?

From experience, I can tell you that the rally doesn't cause any of the disruption, or cost the community dearly. People cause that, and it's people like you that try and pass the blame on.

No rally group and others opposing the rally do so for purely selfish reasons. These selfish people cloak their reasons under the environment banner when they don't actually give a hoot for the environment in the first place let alone understand it.

Luckily the general public is becoming aware that the likes merely put forward lies and unfounded claims for the own selfish agendas at the cost of the community and the environment.

Bring on the rally. Enjoy the beautiful environment of the Tweed and surrounds. Advertise it to the world. Promote tourism. Invest in carbon offsetting and plant more trees. Promote respect and an attachment for the natural environment by getting out there and enjoying it. This is a win win situation for all.

Brendan. Newcastle NSW.

Whichever way you slice it and dice it:

A rally is a horrendousl waste of non-renewable resources and should be banned because of this alone!

For this reason alone it has a phenomenal impact on the environment.

Helga Boehme

You're right - those in the local government areas of Kyogle and Tweed who do not want the rally, its drivers and supporters are locals.

That is, we live here, we work here and we do care about the environment. We are not 'blow ins' who need to follow cars around the country to see a bit of dust being spewed on public roads for the benefit of having a speed record acknowledged.

We come from all walks of life and professions & as such we did much research about the effects of rallies worldwide before we took our concerns to the community, councils, government. We are the environment - people, fauna, flora, social fabric of communities. While animal kill was of great concern to us - and it is a wonder that more carnage did not occur - we were as concerned with the disruption (and it was much more than 6 hours) to individual & small community life; misinformation fed the locals from the organisers at the three levels of Rally Australia, Local Councils and State Government in the guise of 'consultation' and 'explanation'.

Believe me when I tell you that the lives, and in some instances businesses of locals, was dsrupted for many more than six hours. Those 6 hours belong to the spectators not those of us who live in this part of the world 24/7.

We locals, we taxpayers, paid the straight economic cost for the rally - still counting upwards $5million - and that's a guess because the NSW Government refuses to tell the NSW taxpayers how much they gave the organisers to put on this event.

The rift to the social fabric of communities in northern rivers does not have a cost - it is too high a price to pay.

And we will continue to empahsis our position and the damage particularly to the environment (we're talking all encompassing here) that has been perpetrated in the name of sport.

I agree the rally had little impact - ECONOMICALLY.
this is another red herring to try and distract us from the real issue that Repco, supported by the government are trying to force an unwanted, wasteful, economically unviable event on a community interested in the wellbeing of that community and the environment it lives in, and based on FALSE PROMISES of economic benefit, but really just bully boys trying to have their fun at the expense of many many others. Shame on Dr Phillips for helping perpetuate the issue. It is my understanding that his report is only based on a one off event. But in the same way that when we walk through a grassy field once, we leave little imprint, repetition creates a path, the rally will have an effect on the natural environment, will continue to cause disharmony in the community, is eating into taxpayer funds that should be going into the health system or something for the benefit of all, and last but not least - CAR RACING AND TAX PAYER DOLLARS SHOULD NOT MIX.

I think the only thing perpetrated in the name of sport was fun and excitement, I loved competing the fans loved watching us compete.
Long live RRA.

WRC2484 writes with the poise of a true motor sport journalist who has been following this issue closely. He has hit the nail on the head on a few aspects but seriously underestimates how the the 'Motorsports Bill' and the associated disregard of so many 'Laws of the land' for the benefit of an elite overseas television production has actually 'got up the noses' of many local residents. Including many who would usually enjoy motor sports.
Many more people are more concerned about this travesty of democratic principles than the few highly vocal roadside protesters defending the voiceless wildlife and wilderness areas.
The impact of this putting aside of the Law for short term secular commercial interests will be the undoing of this State government yet.

Helga7

So you have no interest in rallying, and it wastes resources therefore it should be banned. I have no interest in football, tennis, soccer or the Nimbin Mardi Grass for that matter. Millions of people do however enjoy all these forms of entertainment. Just because something doesn't float your boat, doesn't make it wrong.

You bring nothing to the debate, other than your own selfish comments. Phenomenal impact, can you elaborate or are you happy to leave your wild claim as a wild claim and nothing more. What is the impact, how did you measure it and how does it compare to your own impact on our area?

opponent

So you're speaking for the whole community now, the thousands of locals that lined fences or the kids that jumped and cheered as cars raced past their farms. I think you are speaking on behalf of a small minority, not the majority. You may want to read the report prepared by the Kyogle Council that focussed on the social impacts.

You only need to read to page 2 to realise that the people who support the rally are far less vocal than those who don't. It states that, "The results suggest that 87% of the general population support the return of the event, and that 83.4% of the general population feel the benefits of the event outweigh the inconvenience caused" http://www.kyogle.nsw.gov.au/content/...

By blow ins, do you mean tourists? Or is a tourist only counted if they have no interest in cars? The ones that arrive by pedal power, ride their bikes through the forests and leave again by solar powered skateboards? Have you not driven a gravel road in all your time as a local, dust is spewed into the atmosphere every day.

Did you publish and reference any of this research? Or did you fail to find anything worth sharing outside your circle of anti rally supporters? Why did you bother researching world wide, when a similar rally took place within 100km of Kyogle only weeks before the World Rally? You could have saved a lot of time by looking within NSW, as many rallies run each year.

opponent

In saying, "The rally used existing roads, for no more than 6 hours during daylight hours." I meant the road were only closed to the locals for a six hour period. I would quote the RTA web link stating all of the hours but it has been removed. I did my research, about three months worth, so if something was published I knew about it. Road closed to the public generally around 5:30am to stop spectators entering stages. Then closed to local s some hours later. Opening after several hours, for locals to travel in one direction only. They then opened to to locals again, before later opening to the public. Not what you would call a major inconvenience.

My point is, it's not like locals were locked in for days on end, rather several hours. What do locals do when it floods, the council is working on a bridge or someone crashes their car? You make other arrangements and life goes on.

Sure, community consultation could be improved, and like most events it will be each year. It's not like the locals assisted with this, using some very interesting language when it came to dealing with officials.

Why quote fact when you can just pluck the figure of $5 million? It's not unusual for anti rally supporters to make up figure when none are available, but that one takes the cake.

What about the damage to the image of our area, to the tourism industry and to the sport that resulted from the actions of protesters? Have you done your sums on those figure yet? I'm not going to pull a figure from nowhere, but I would guess it would be more than the cost of cleaning the graffiti from our local roads and replacing signs that were vandalised. Any word on the outcome of that case?

WRC 2484 sure loves to rant. shame it isn't accurate. regarding the rocks/boulders the statement the police released said it DIDN'T HAPPEN not that they didn't have enough evidence. Any way, people who were actually there - protestors AND drivers said it DID NOT HAPPEN. You also love to go on about the alleged low impact on fauna/flora (even that is too much when unecessary) but here is a big reason I am opposed to the Rally regardless: I DO NOT WANT MY TAXPAYER DOLLARS FUNDING AN ELITE SPORT NOR DO ANY OF THE MANY PEOPLE I KNOW IN NSW, IN AND OUT OF THE REGION. If a referendum was done and people were asked whether they would like their tax dollars spent on the Rally and the majority said "yes" I would have to bow down to that. The fact that most people in NSW don't care about rallies, that most people or their relatives have experienced the stress of understaffed hospital facilities, that most people would not want laws changed for something they are opposed to without good reason means that outcome would be highly unlikely. WRC2484 you are a classic example of the self centred elitist at the heart of this problem. The examples of the collapse of Eastern Creek costing taxpayers millions, and Homebush's poor performance leading to negligable return on interest on tax payer funds (or did we lose out again?) supports the view that CAR RALLIES AND TAXPAYER FUNDS SHOULD NOT MIX.

P.S. WRC2484 - you comment "I attend countless rallies throughout Australia each year, and they are run without any fuss. These events are run in state forests, and not on public roads. You don't hear of people trying to stop them, but rather welcoming them and the influx of people to their small towns. The only difference between these events and the Repco Australia event is ownership of land" .. DUH, EXACTLY
You prove our case for us, if the Repco Rally were run in a state forest, not on public roads, maybe there would be less opposition. Take it where it belongs!!!

Not specifically noted above is that this area of northern NSW is a biodiversity hot spot, one of the main reasons for opposition to this rally. No animal of a threatened species may have been killed this time, but over 10 years it is likely that this will happen, a possibility referred to in Dr.Phillips rally impact report. Cumulative effects on breeding cycles of birds and small mammals are also likely. As noted in Dr Phillips' pre-rally reports, large numbers of threatened species live within 5 km of rally stages. Some rally stages run through or along National Parks, set aside in part to provide a sanctuary for and conserve flora and fauna of Australia. The rally is thus an invasion of their home. I doubt that the rally mentioned above in New Zealand would be permitted by the NZ Department of Conservation to do this. Surely some other rally site can be found.

My, WRC2484 really does love rallys doesn't he! Most people, and especially those who live in the Northern Rivers have no real interest in them, believe it or not. And many of us don't want them run in our shire. They are a thing of the past. We need to start looking at where the world is going, and promoting the driving of petrol guzzling cars at high speed is not it. Obviously it gives WRC2484 some simple pleasure, but he is part of a small minority, mostly from outside the shire.

You say they love having the world rally in NZ, even let them run stages through the CBD. We would love them to run this one through the CBD also, perhaps Sydney? At least it would give our environment and the wildlife a break!

Maybe even through Ballina, I'm sure if you all got together down there and lobbied the state government they would oblige. No doubt all the people of Ballina will embrace it, as they do in NZ - especially those whose front dooors it goes past.

Your poll is misleading, the rally had a major detrimental impact, racing cars through our National Parks is simply unacceptable environmental vandalism, big corporation GREED, advertising an irresponsible wasteful old fashioned sport, which burns our valuable remaining fossil fuel unnecessarily, polluting our planet even more , increasing our CO2 levels, contributing to global warming. It is environmental suicide, MADNESS!!!!!
Encouraging our youth with underdeveloped brains to drive dangerously, I've had an unlicensed driver in an unregistered vehicle come through my front fence!

There have always been - and will always be - multiple reasons for opposing the rally being imposed on the Northern Rivers, especially the Tweed Valley. The environmental issues are but one of them.

The issue of road kill was always a factor but NEVER the major factor. The reason for this is quite simple - there is road kill every day of the week.

It was Rally Australia, and their ecological consultant, who decided to focus ONLY on this aspect of possible risk to animals! Go back and read his ecological report - its there in black and white.

Opponents of the rally were critical of this myopic approach from the start. Now, having set the target low, Dr Phillips is gloating that they reached it. So what!

Far more impact would have been felt by native animals from stress resulting from increased noise and disturbance. Many of these animals would have toddled off into the bush never to be found and counted by the likes of Dr Phillips!

You only have to do a brief Google search to realise the profound impact that stress has on Australian native wildlife, causing irreparable muscle damage and decline leading to death.

But these factors and these victims were never accounted for!

Also, we won't know the impact on the breeding cycle for a number of years - but Dr Phillips does not seem to be measuring this aspect. Remember that the rally is planned to run every second year in the breeding season for up to 20 years.

Dr Phillips expresses his disappointment that no local volunteer group would agree to take on the responsibility for tree planting as a "carbon offset". I am not surprised.

They probably realised that the planting is only one small part of a real carbon offset program. The trees need to be monitored and managed to maturity. The responsibility for ensuring that this happens lies firmly with Rally Australia as the organisers of the event - not with local community groups who depend on the efforts and goodwill of unpaid volunteers. But then - relying on unpaid volunteers is nothing new for Rally Australia!

Many other issues underpinned local residents' opposition to the rally including social, political and economic concerns.

I agree with Dr Phillips on one point. The rally has caused much social disharmony - for that reason alone it should be moved away from this area.

Dr Phillips says a wallaby was hit, most likely because it was being chased by dogs. Couldn't it be just as likely it was running from the noise of helicoptors, strange smells etc?

Nowhere in the report does it answer the 2 main concerns raised by anti rally residents, they being:

1) Wrong time...September = Spring= breeding season.

This area has many vulnerable species To interrupt the breeding cycle every 2 years for 20 years, could be disastrous for many of them.

2) Stress.

I have been a licensed native animal carer for 20 years. Stress is caused by many factors - strange noises, smells, changes etc etc. The effects are most commonly seen after an animal has been run down and caught, so the condition is often called Capture Myopathy, but stress from any of the above situations is a primary killer of marsupials, indeed most animals can be affected.

Death can occur immediately, but usually occurs over a few days, up to several weeks. It is a slow and painful death. I am quite sure many animals would have been affected by the low flying helicoptors, crowds,sirens etc and I am equally sure Dr Phillips would be very aware of the facts I am pointing out, yet makes no mention of them!..What investigations took place weeks after the rally?...A silly question really, because these animals would have moved off further into the forest never to be found. It is impossible to know how many animals were really killed.

Of course no volunteer organisations concerned for the environment would do the dirty work for Rally Australia. Why doesn't Rally Australia just put its hands in its now very full pocket and pay people to plant the trees and maintain them. For all the damage that has been caused by this event, it's the least they could do. They promised jobs, so go employ people!

The way this poll is worded is a bit curly. No where does it give us an option of saying we think it is a disaster. As i read it, I vote no, because I dont think its impact was minor..I vote major, major disaster, further more, I will keep objecting to it, untill it goes away. Common sense dictates, the Tweed Valley is no place for a high speed car rally. NEVER WAS, NEVER WILL BE.

How did Cr Milne get to her environmental sustainability conference in Victoria? Walk, pushbike or carbon fuel burning transport?

The mention of "disappointment that Landcare groups and even his local Rotary club – Murwillumbah Rotary – failed to take up Repco Rally Australia offers to provide funds for tree-planting as part of a carbon-offset " needs to be commented on.
The offers made by RRA where inadequate and relied on community groups providing all the work so they could have some "green" propaganda.
The amounts of money offered barely would have covered the cost of trees, with zero money for setting up planting sites and maintaining them for the ten years it takes to establish a viable planting. It appeared that the hard working volunteers, who already have enough work to do, where expected to not only plant tens of thousands of trees but also find the time to care for and manage them.
If these apparent environmentally conscious people at Repco Rally Australia really wanted to set up a carbon offset planting they should do it the way all other companies do and pay professionals to do it. Not be cheap bastards and sling it onto the shoulders of the community volunteers.
Dr Philips should know this and be more disappointed in the behaviour of the Rally in regards to this issue.
This headline for this article is incredibly misleading, but then most are in regards to this event. The race was "a minor impact" in regards to roadkill only, not the very long list of other ways it smashed through and impacted our natural and human communities.

WTF2484 that is not exactly what Phillips said. He did not say 'the Repco Rally caused enormous social disruption and cost the community dearly.' He said “We now appear to be a community divided by ideologies,” the implication being that it was not the fault of Repco but the fault of the local people. He was apparently shocked by the actions of local people, which shows how little understanding he has of why we protested in the first place.

How the hell would he know if no threatened species was killed? How can his miniscule team of volunteers know what is happening to every single bird nest in Tweed Shire? And the 3 day follow-up (ostensibly to count more rally-related deaths) was a joke. It would take years to do a proper post-rally study if anyone was serious.

As for him being let down by people he respected, I think the shoe is on the other foot. An ecologist should speak up for the wildlife, not for the company who employs him.

Mr Phillips is a great disappointment to people who care about the environment, wildlife-protection and democracy. He masquerades as a do-gooder trying to get offsets and then wonders why nobody is impressed.

Wake up Steve!

WRC2484 Steve Phillips did not account for all animals killed. I know of a peasant phascogale that was killed on recce day and reported to him that did not end up in the report. And an adult male kangaroo in Cawongala with severe stress myopathy that also did get noted. How can we ever know the number of abandoned nests and fledglings or even stress-related abortions of any species? For threatened species it is crucial that their offspring survive. Animals die of more than just collisions in these kind of rallies. Stress makes them flee their territory and from there they can be killed by neighbouring species. Yet Mr Phillips focuses only on rally collisions. So much for being a professional in his field. His report is not even worth the paper it is written on when it comes to the true cost of animal life.

WRC2484 you write as if locals, who pay taxes and rates, have no rights, berating them for being 'selfish'. We have rights and we don't want the rally here. We don't appreciate not being able to get our kids to school, park on our street, get to work or the shops. We don't appreciate the dust and extreme noise of rally cars. The reality is, it is SELFISH of Repco to impose their event on us. How dare they!

You say we should study the impact of rallies overseas. But those areas don't have the biodiversity that this area does, so there is no comparison! Rally drivers and mechanics told us they were shocked to be driving through national parks, koala colonies and areas where threatened species lived. It would never have happened in Europe.

As for Repco visiting locals - yes we know. A total of EIGHT people were consulted. It's a fact.

Boulders?Where is the evidence of boulders in Byrrill Creek. There was never any photographed published of boulders.

WRC2484 we are not impressed with carbon offsets. Tell that to an animal who lost its offspring in breeding season and they won't be impressed either. We think rallies are disgusting, immoral, disrespectful and pastimes of people who have not grown up enough to see the beauty of the world around them and respect it.

We don't need to use speeding as an excuse. The Grand Prix in Adelaide last year was followed in the same week by the death of two young male hoon drivers imitating their rally heroes. And so it continues through the year. Rallies breed hoons. Our country roads are already fatal for speeding motorists, encouraging more speeding is not sensible.

As for protesting making us look 'dumb' on the contrary. It shows that we are at least caring enough to stand up and make a stand for what we believe in. Do you think we don't have better things to do or we get paid to protest??? Unlike you who is most likely in Repco's employ (as with Steve Phillips).

I would be more interested in seeing an independent ecologist's report than Mr Phillips' report.

Mulheab - exactly who doesn't give a hoot about the environment? It's the ralliers in fact.

You talk about win-win but what about the animals? It's no win for them to have a rally and anyone who thinks so is ignoring the fact that they have a right to peace and a stress-free life, as do we.

So go away rally, our ranks are growing and we will defeat all of you. You simply don't have a leg to stand on and your house is made of straw.

The wildlife count is incosequential, but the real issue is the state governments whimsical abolishment of previous legislation and civil liberties to assist a corporate event.

The whole event is subsidised by tax payers of NSW and local ratepayers. WRC/RAlly Australia is a rent seeking organisation that will happily takes government funding and itself imitating the stereotype of its opponents. The benefits of the whole event are exaggerated and its costs hidden.

Then there is the issue of the frivolous use of non-renewable resources (oil).

The media has significantly hyped the issue of roadkill, and no-rally group have facilitated this dialogue.

As a result of commnity pressure an unprecedented world standard in ecological monitoring for car races has been created. This is something to be thankful for, .

The rally is bad or so many reasons beyond raodkill. It is time people in the wider community became aware of what is happening in the world around them. A rally like this is ante-diluvian.

yoginisuz

Can you reference the false promises you speak of, that is a dollar amount that you would be happy with? Did those against the rally expect a higher return to local business and charities? It seems odd that people would protest an event, sabotage the running of two stages, make visitors feel unwelcome and then turn around to say we didn't make enough money.

Locals benefited in many ways, and protesters made a huge effort to reduce the success of the event. The same people now question the running of the event on it's financial merit. The rally was a huge success, and will be even bigger next year with some improvements.

Shame on uneducated locals who profess to know better than Dr Stephen Phillips, all without reading his report and then use him as a punching bag. I have read the report many times over, as it contained the first maps and details of the rally route long before anything was made public.

The same way we walk through a grassy field? Repetition creates a path? Strange comparison considering the rally uses the existing gravel roads, the same roads locals enjoy driving everyday of the year. We aren't talking about a pristine grassy field, rather an area of farmland that is home to many many people who have done their bit to remove the natural habitat the animals once enjoyed to themselves. If anything, your path will be improved as a result of the rally as it was was pre and post Repco Rally. Some locals claimed that the roads would remain gravel for the next 20 years as a result of the rally, the same roads that are now being sealed.

Tax payers funds are often used to fund events, it's called entertainment and is a result of lots of individuals working to pay tax. Look at the spending on the Olympic games in Sydney, which cost taxpayers over $2 billion dollars. I don't remember watching a minute of the coverage, but I'm sure a lot of people enjoyed it while others were only inconvenienced by it. Fact of life, people have interests outside of yours, and if you want to be part of society you must accommodate others interests.

If we want to start talking wasted tax dollars, let's take a closer look at our employment rates. How many people chose to do nothing with their life, or should I say live an alternate lifestyle, yet accept a little help from tax payers every week or fortnight?

yoginisuz

Are you serious, you would be happy to have it in a state forest? What about Mebbin State Forest, that it did run through in 2009? Would it be acceptable to you if it used this forest, on logging roads this time and not the main public road? I don't think you know what you want.

I think I could have been clearer on my point about public roads vs private forests. Of all the rallies that I attend, the only one that I have encountered any opposition is the Repco Rally. This rally uses only public roads, not a mixture of private forests and public roads.

The unique factor is land ownership, demonstrating that the opposition towards the rally is generated from land ownership and greed not the environmental concerns that are dreamt up. People don't live in state or private forests, so aren't exposed to the smaller rallies that almost exclusively use these roads.

Smaller rallies don't gather any media interest, so protesters would not have an audience to spin their lies to if the tried to protest. The Repco Rally had a world wide audience, so what better opportunity to try and upset the running of the event by leveraging the media.

If environment issues were at the heart of the opposition, then people would be protesting rallies Australia wide. Which they aren't, only the one rally that inconvenience their own lives. Now that the environmental concerns are being squashed, the opposition is taking the social approach. Which, funny enough is their true reason for opposing the rally. Their own social world is upset for no more than three days, with a handful of road closures and extra traffic.

The truth always comes to the surface, and believe it is now clear to the general public. People will continue to talk about stress myopathy, and breeding seasons till the cows come home. It's now very clear, this is not an environmental issue but a social one. These small pockets of people refuse to accept that the land is changing.

Once upon a time you could walk into the forests, and listen to the birds and running creeks. Now you have to put up with the constant tourists driving by, motorbikes buzzing up and down the valley and increase in air traffic. Twenty years ago you could enjoy the beach to yourself, and relax in peace. Now the beach is crowded at dawn, and new developments bring hundreds of new people each year. My point is, the place has changed, people want to live here and we need to accept that it will never be the tranquil escape that it once was. We can still enjoy this paradise, but alongside a lot more people.

People are not going to go away, either is the rally. The social unrest caused by the actions of protesters is far higher a price than allowing the event to take place for three days and then move on. 13 other countries around the world manage to embrace the rally, why can't we?

Dear WRC2484 from Ballina please lobby your council to have rally there. Kyogle is bordered by more National park than any other shire in the NR. costs to keep our area are enorous and the opportunity for many of us to have as asphelt road will be halted by this rally for twenty years that means we are also having to pay the cost for you in our vehicles. We and Tweed shire residen would have much preferred th Millions for good roads for us and tourists that come and stay through out the year. We live in beautiful Heritage Listed country. RE animals and protesting I had never protested before as many of the residents had not. We are ordinary folk who came here becuse it is not anywhere else, it is quite. We love it. Over three days of rally I photoed five animals on a 30 Klms stretch of road over in a period of about 5 hours. I was not out to specifically find dead animals they were just there in a short time span of my travel time. I considered myself tough when it cames to this task but as time went on i realised what you probably cant understand that Nature has produced some pretty marvelous things and weeks after i realised how he task had affected me. As an artist i learned alot about torsos, wings, reptile skin, eyes and I learned that echidna feet are fantastic. but WRC2484 i would have much rathered seeing these animals alive. Other writers are true in what they say about our wild life corridors and Myopathy. Mr Phillips has a company to protect he's doing his job and seeing many images of dead animals is as i have found quite on onerous task. WRC2484 from Ballina you at no time mention our Aboriginal friends who were protesing with us did you know that WRC LIED about them giving their pemission to hold the Rally, Did you know that No cultural Heritage Study was done for the Tweed and the Kyogle Draft study for three roads only was not complete. Elders Uncle Harry Boyd and Lyla Boyd stood up for their ancestral rights only to be ignored By two so called respectful International Companies Repco and Federation International World Rally Championships. Mr WRC2484 from Ballina is this the type of democracy you want to live in? Oh thats right you dont live here do you? so how could you know the local facts especially as i see you are posing to quote your research from Kyogle councils reports. I met many old families and residents who have come here from all over the world but best of all I learned about the heritage of the first Australians and learned a smigen of what Invasion means to them, Oh and we've all got great lungs for the next time. :)

Andrea Gustavsson

WCR2484

You have provided NO evidence (or argument) for claims made in your post of 27 May 2010 5:10pm that:

•There was a net financial gain to the community
•Locals benefited
•Locals who oppose the rally are uneducated
•The rally was a huge success
•Stages traversed only farmland
•Locals have removed the native forest
•Taxpayer funding of the rally can be justified because the Olympics are funded by taxes

I feel that these claims are unfounded, but will make an argument against only one in this post – that the rally is conducted entirely on farmland.

If you read Steve Phillips reports (Biolink 2009a, b) many times over, you will know that:

•In Tweed LGA, two stages traverse National Parks (one of these for much of its length) and the other four traverse freehold agricultural land but pass through areas of tall forest/woodland and rainforest (1 stage) which harbour native flora and fauna species, some threatened.

•In Kyogle LGA, two stages traverse National Parks and freehold land, and eight stages traverse freehold agricultural land, passing through tall open forest/woodland communities (two with only patches) which harbour native flora and fauna species, some threatened.

This is not painting a picture of a rally run exclusively on farmland.

I leave it to you to read Steve’s reports once again to rediscover the large numbers of threatened species living within 5km of the rally routes.

Biolink. (2009a). Ecological Assessment - proposed World Championship event in parts of Kyogle Local Government Area. Report prepared by Biolink Ecological Consultants for Repco Rally Australia (dated 27 April 2009) Uki, New South Wales.

Biolink. (2009b). Ecological Assessment - proposed World Championship event in parts of Tweed Local Government Area. Report prepared by Biolink Ecological Consultants for Repco Rally Australia (dated 29 April 2009) Uki, New South Wales.

WRC2484 -

In this case locals feel that the financial benefits are not worth the social, ecological, and political costs. The benefit to locals is in great dispute.

And give it a break with the bullyish, boring and wrong claims that people who don't like the rally are all unemployed and/or dope smokers. What a cheap attack that makes no one look bad but you.

You live in Ballina, and you love rallies. Why don't you put your fancy rhetorical skills into lobbying to have this one moved there?

well wrc 2484, i think the statement by community above is a begrudged backhanded compliment, though one, at least partly, well deserved. 'your fancy rhetorical skills' indeed! your informed contribution to this debate is much appreciated in its balance, depth and well reasoned argument. i particularly enjoy the historical and social contexts and the big picture view. well done keeping cool under, what sometimes appears, an armada of arrogance on a tsunami of bile. allways a good read.

RE-Rock throwing
When are people going to stop with this "it didn't happen" rubbish?
As a local and someone who was a marshall at the event i can definitely say it did happen ,just ask the driver and co-driver from the Gold Coast Bakery entry.They had the rear window of their Subaru smashed by cowards whilst competing in one of the stages.Look in the archives of the Northern Star for a start,even pics and an interview that show the proof. Good one enviroMENTALISTS.
Obviously the green propaganda machine forgets that we are in a digital age and evidence of their crimes is everywhere.
By the way when are the vandals going to remove their graffitti that is still around the place,oh i forgot they probably used bio-degradable paint...NOT