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Tag Archive | "Save Albert Park"

WEBBER: Welcome back to the nanny state Mark

Thursday, March 10, 2011

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WEBBER: Welcome back to the nanny state Mark

In the wake of Lewis Hamilton's public flogging from the Melbourne media after last year's "Burnout" scandal, local hero Mark Webber described Victoria as "A nanny state". These comments provoked mock outrage from the talkback radio demi-gods of Melbourne and their loyal army of lonely housewives, bored loners and senile geriatrics. Now Webber is caught up in another controversy that again proves his original statement 100% correct. The Melbourne Grand Prix, and Red Bull want Mark to drive an F1 car across Melbourne's less than iconic Bolte Bridge.

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MELBOURNE’S GP ON BORROWED TIME ?

Sunday, January 23, 2011

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MELBOURNE’S GP ON BORROWED TIME ?

Melbourne's Formula One Grand Prix looks to be on borrowed time with calls by the City's Lord Mayor to axe the race once it's contract is up in 2014. Writing in the top selling Australian newspaper The Herald-Sun, Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the Grand Prix had run it's race. "...it has been 20 fantastic years, the benefits to the city and the state have been enormous, but the cycle has run its course." he said. "In the end, it will be a government decision and one of the tough ones that Ted Baillieu faces in his first term. Does he undo the legacy of Jeff Kennett, his mentor, in his very first term and, ironically, through the same minister to first get the event, Louise Asher? My judgement would be: Get ready. Time's up."

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MEMO TO BERNIE: TAKE YOUR RACE AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR…

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

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The choice of holding the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in the modern era has always been a controversial one; since Jeff Kennett sensationally (or infamously, according to South Australians) announced in late 1993 that a deal has been concluded with Bernie Ecclestone to host the race in Melbourne’s Albert Park from 1996 onwards. Even before a wheel was turned there was  already strong opposition to the Grand Prix by environmentalists and the “Save Albert Park” movement; local residents and the usual NIMBY’s  affected by the construction of the track and the annual build up and tear down of fencing and facilities before and after each event. To add more fuel to the fire of opposition to the Grand Prix, the Victorian State government and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation is attracting the ire of ordinary residents and taxpayers of Victoria by posting a bigger loss to the Formula 1 Grand Prix each year since 1996. It has been announced recently that the 2010 event has lost $49.2 million dollars, which means, by my calculations, that over the past five years, the Australian Grand Prix has lost a total of more than $185 million dollars. That same $185 million dollars could be very well used in building desperately needed road, public transport or health infrastructure or to fund proper education of Victorian youths. Instead, taxpayers of the state of Victoria, have to line the pockets of one of the richest men in the world for the right to a frivolous activity and to pay the imbeciles who supposedly run it.

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POLICE TO CHARGE “HOON” HAMILTON

Saturday, March 27, 2010

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POLICE TO CHARGE “HOON” HAMILTON

2008 World Champion Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton has become a victim of the Victorian Government's Anti-Hoon laws after he was pulled over by Victorian Police last night. Hamilton was leaving the Albert Park circuit when he allegedly did a burnout in his road going Mercedes. In a statement issued by McLaren late last night Hamilton said: "This evening, I was driving in an over-exuberant manner and, as a result, was stopped by the police. "What I did was silly, and I want to apologise for it."

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