Easter Nats - Sandown to be Cancelled

[mjt57]

Looks like the shire that looks after Dandenong/Sandown is to cancell the permits for racing at the Easter Nats at Sandown. I missed most of the article on ABC Radio (Melbourne), but from the gist of things, Sandown's days may be numbered.

Apparently people moving into the area are whinging about the place. Same old story. Dunno what can be done about it, particularly when they vote and the race goers and competitors are mostly from out of the area...

[GTRMagic]

So what is the point of Jon Davison even managing the circuit from a motor racing standpoint if they are not allowed to run events to make money??

[jetsetter]

Is this the beginning of the end for Sandown?

[GTRMagic]

Seems like it

[Big Treva]

I heard a rumour late last year that said that it only had 2 years left. Interesting in light of this info. Obviously the local council isn't interested in motorsport. Then again you have to ask what does the car racing contribute to that local community?

On the point of "Nats", the facility in Shepparton used for the Springcar Nats now has houses being built up to its back fence, won't be long for them either I bet. Mind you the local Council "appears" very supportive! but lets see for how long after the neighbours start complaining does the Councils support starts to wane.

[dangeradam]

If its like lakeside the councils have vested intrests $$$

Real estate = quick cash for council and in brown paper bags.

[GTRMagic]

It would be prime land I suppose, if the horse track is also to be taken out of service, and the whole thing carved up for housing development A lot of history will go with it....

I wonder if the main grandstand is removable, up to Eastern Creek

[humpty]

re the easternats at Sandown......apparentley they had a 5 year contract but was too close to nats last year to can it so they let it run....so in theory Davo got 1 more years for nuthing.

[PVDA]

3AW's opening item on the morning talk back was an interveiw with a local councilor who had voted against the permit for the event. Interesting it was only just lost and 3 coucilors were still on holidays.

After this they had the usual it's so noisy and so much smoke phone calls as well as a couple of pro Easternats calls.

A couple of callers even called for the V8's to be stopped as well.

Jon Davison called in having received a call from someone telling him to switch on his radio to 3AW and after telling us that this was the first he had heard of the rejection (it was 8:30am) he explained the history of the event including the fact that the same local council had approached him in the early 90's to organise events to get the street hoons off the street and the Easternats grew from that.

Davo said he would appeal to VCAT (state Gov appeals process) and believes he has a strong case as they are not changing the permit conditions from the previous 5 years and has even done things like stopped on site camping so the competitors wont be there 24 hours a day during the event to ease locals concerns.

I suggest if any of you live in that part of Melbourne you let it be known you are in favour of this event because if the succeed in killing this the whole of Sandown motorsport (including the V8's) will be next and with the loss of Phillip Island from the V8 & Procar calendar means no big events in the near Melbourne area.

Edit: By the way I believe the Easternats will be run under the CAMS umbrella for the first time under the new cruising events guidelines (or whatever they call them).

[RaceTime]

Originally posted by PVDA
Edit: By the way I believe the Easternats will be run under the CAMS umbrella for the first time under the new cruising events guidelines (or whatever they call them).

That would explain Sandown agreeing to the new CAMS track licensing payments.

Although if any meetings were held with Sandown reps in attendance, I would be surprised if they had been awake long enough to hear any of CAMS proposals!

[RaceTime]

Reported in the Melbourne Herald-Sun today that the Dandenong council have knocked back the Easternats BUT apparently because three councillors were absent from the last meeting (when this was decided) and on holiday, the issue is to be debated and voted upon again.

Davison has also said he would take it, if necessary, to VCAT - the Final Umpire. One of the councillors who supports the Easternats is reported as saying she does not believe the council would win at a VCAT arbitration meeting.

[mjt57]

I find Dandenong Council's attitude to be amazing. Dandy is s'posed to be the street drag capital of Melbourne, and the Easter Nats were set up to take the hoons off the street. Then they turn around and cancel the event....

[RaceTime]

Costs them too much money in lost fines....sheesh, how easy is it to see the corrupt side

[Onlooker]

Originally posted by mjt57
I find Dandenong Council's attitude to be amazing. Dandy is s'posed to be the street drag capital of Melbourne, and the Easter Nats were set up to take the hoons off the street. Then they turn around and cancel the event....

How many people with either an address or a car registered in the dandenong area??? Not to many I would think. :confused::confused:

It is probally a fine event but I would imagine that the behaviour of the attendees in the ajoining area that is stirring up the problem.There may be a bit of racket and smoke wafting accross the area but living near a horse/car racing track it is reasonable to assume that the price payed for the house was reflective of this.Lets replace the Nats with the Melbourne Cup, what do you think that the locals would say then? Probally the same hooting and hollering comeing from the place,save for the campers but I doubt that you would have high speed projectiles of sometimes questionable build quality driven by in the main inexperienced drivers who's thoughts are elswhere whipping up their street.

Fix the people ripping around the back streets etc and most of the noise would die down.Pretty much it is either a cemetary or factories etc on at least 2 sides and another side has a main rail line and the other the Hwy all set in Melbournes equivilent to Cabrratta,hardly what you would call a tranquile location.
I went to Camberra for about the first or second SummerNats and there was going on on the roads that could pretty easily turned ugly.Some guy on the radio was going on about it and the traffic seemed to be the main concern,over easter a lot of kids in the sreets etc.

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: