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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (30 August) . . Page.. 2617 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

I understand that the ACT government has had one or two discussions with the Canberra International Dragway since the finding of the Federal Court a month or so ago. I am not sure what status those discussion now have, but I think it is important that this Assembly send a very clear message that it wants to see a solution to this problem, that it wants to see a solution that places these drag-racing enthusiasts with a suitable permanent venue for their activity which actually brings back the economic activity the territory has lost and which, at the same time, addresses the problem of dragracers, particularly some of the younger members of that community, going out onto our streets, rather than using a suitable purpose-built facility.

Mr Speaker, this is a positive motion. It is intended to send a clear message that this Assembly believes that it is absolutely important to have a permanent venue for drag-racing in the ACT so that we can restore not only the economic benefits but also the social benefits that come as a result of having this activity in the ACT.

MS TUCKER (11.33): I seek leave to move together the two amendments circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MS TUCKER: I move:

I have to be honest and say that the Greens have little sympathy for the so-called sport of drag-racing, which involves two vehicles at a time speeding as fast as possible down a straight quarter-mile track. Drag-racing is a supreme example of macho posturing over who has the most powerful and loudest vehicle and who can burn out the largest amount of tyre rubber. There is really no race involved; it is just a matter of which vehicle can accelerate faster, because by the time the dragracers have reached top speed they have virtually reached the end of the track and have to slow down again.

This sport is a waste or petrol and rubber and is a huge generator of noise. It adds nothing to improving the quality of life of the broader community or to ecological sustainability. Therefore, I cannot accept the implications of Mr Corbell's motion that drag-racing is somehow making a significant contribution to life in the ACT. The fact that drag-racing events generate revenue is no reason for encouraging them. I believe that we have to be a bit more discerning than that in assessing the contribution of a particular activity to human welfare.

No attempt has been made in the motion to acknowledge that drag-racing also has significant noise impacts and that there is a need to balance the rights of those people who want to participate in drag-racing against the rights of other residents not to be disturbed by this activity.

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