Business of the House

Ms LEE RHIANNON [4.16 p.m.]: I move:

That standing and sessional orders be suspended to allow a motion to be moved forthwith that Private Members' Business item No. 149 outside the Order of Precedence, relating to a V8 Supercar racing event, be called on forthwith.

I speak to the urgency of the Greens' motion calling on the Government: to reverse any decision taken to date on the V8 Supercar racing event being held at Sydney Olympic Park at Homebush; to justify the Government's commitment to underwrite the event to the tune of $84 million—$32 million in the first year and $18 million for the next three years—so the event can run at a loss for four years; and to instead allocate sufficient funds to an upgrade of Eastern Creek raceway so that it can continue to host the V8 Supercar series and also remain Sydney's premier international motor sports racing venue.

This motion is clearly urgent because of reports today by the ABC indicating that the announcement of a favourable decision on the proposal to stage a V8 Supercar racing series at Sydney Olympic Park is imminent, and confirming that in-principle agreement for the proposal has been given by the Minister for State Development, Ian Macdonald. This matter is urgent for a number or reasons. A key reason is that a large section of the racing car fraternity do not support this race being held at the Homebush venue. Mr Geoff Arnold, Secretary of the Australian Drivers Club, has set out some excellent material to show why it is not wise to hold this race at Homebush instead of Eastern Creek. Clearly it is urgent to consider this matter and Mr Arnold points out the huge amount of time that will be taken up if Homebush is the venue. It is not just the time of the race but it is the set-up and take-down time for the event. A comparison drawn by Mr Arnold helps to inform us about this matter.

In Singapore the set-up takes two months, and take-down six weeks, in Adelaide the set-up is six weeks, the take-down four weeks, and in Albert Park the set-up is six weeks and the take-down is three weeks. This would have a huge impact on the Homebush Olympic Park venue. The Sydney Olympic Park Authority does not support this race going ahead at that venue, in an iconic and wise environmental development that has been carried out with forward thinking. When the plan was first mooted nobody dreamt that the successors of a former Premier, Mr Carr, who was so closely associated with the very fine development of Sydney Olympic Park, would be responsible for ripping apart the place once a year.

We need to debate this matter urgently because of the enormous environmental impact of the event being staged at Olympic Park. The Government and Minister Macdonald either do not understand or have not considered fully or have chosen to disregard these impacts. It is urgent that we debate the social and environmental factors that make the V8 Supercar event so inappropriate for the Olympic Park site. Surely this House should have that opportunity. We know that the public is locked out of the process at the moment as there has been no public consultation process, no opportunity for the public to review the feasibility study and make public submissions, and no environmental assessment of the noise pollution or disruption from the event.

Members should remember that 10 weeks of remodelling will occur at Sydney Olympic Park each year. That will involve the movement of about 1,200 trucks that are required to construct and dismantle the kilometres of track fencing, all for a car race that could be held at Eastern Creek. This is not a question of the V8 Supercar race not going ahead. Eastern Creek is a venue that would encourage safer driving, whereas at Olympic Park the race would effectively be held on the streets of suburban Sydney. Clearly it is urgent that this House be given the chance to debate the merits of wasting $84 million of taxpayers' money to underwrite the V8 Supercar race at Olympic Park. Or do we look at how much money can be injected into Eastern Creek so that it becomes a permanent home for this race? I urge members to support this motion so we can have some public consideration of this matter. [Time expired.]

The Hon. LYNDA VOLTZ [4.21 p.m.]: Although I appreciate that Ms Lee Rhiannon has concerns about any proposed V8 Supercar race at Sydney Olympic Park, the motion is about whether the debate is urgent. Proposals about V8 Supercar races have been before the Government previously, but a lot of research needs to be done on whether those cars will stack up at a venue, what is the economic benefit to the State and a range of matters need to be decided before we consider whether V8 Supercars should race at Sydney Olympic Park. That is a long way down the track. That is not an urgent matter for this House to consider today. We have a considerable way to go before we can say that V8 Supercars are going to race at Sydney Olympic Park. We should wait until the proposal is finalised, the economic benefits are determined, and we know whether the event will go to that site before we make a decision about whether this is an urgent matter for the House to debate.

The Hon. DON HARWIN [4.22 p.m.]: The Opposition supports urgency for discussion on this motion. I take up the comments by the Hon. Lynda Voltz, who has effectively said that we should wait and see the announced proposal before we have a discussion. It appears that there has been very little consultation and there is a great deal of community concern about this matter, so much so that three local government authorities have already discussed this issue and come to a decision. To suggest that, therefore, this matter is not urgent and that the Legislative Council should not debate this issue is absolute nonsense. I confirm that the Opposition supports urgency for this debate.

Dr JOHN KAYE [4.23 p.m.]: I support urgency on this motion. I acknowledge that the Minister for State Development has said that the Government will not oppose the motion, and will not speak further on this matter.

Question—That the motion be agreed to—put and resolved in the affirmative.

Motion agreed to.


Motion by Ms Lee Rhiannon agreed to:

That Private Member's Business Item No. 149 outside the Order of Precedence be called on forthwith.