The Australian Open has long been known as the “friendly” grand slam tennis tournament. Formula One drivers have consistently voted the Australian Grand Prix as the most enjoyable round of the season.
And the world’s MotoGP stars are effusive about the picturesque Phillip Island track which is the venue for the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
But, for once – perhaps for the first time – international sports stars will be leaving Australia tomorrow with a distinctively bitter taste in their mouths.
The World Rally Championship has an enormous following in Europe and elsewhere, attracting hundreds of thousands of people wherever it is held.
Five-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb is a megastar in the world of international motorsport.
But in northern New South Wales – the centre of ageing hippies and aggressive environmentalists – he and his compatriots in Rally Australia are not welcome.
They have been the target of attempts to stop this inaugural event from the ubiquitous vocal minority ranging from ineffective court action to throwing rocks at competing cars and placing boulders on the roads.
Of course, none of the protesting groups will take responsibility for the rock-throwing. That’s just not on their agenda, they insist.
Someone did it though and it’s unlikely to be any of the pro-rally spectators lining the route.
Police have been on duty to try to prevent trouble and have been outraged that people are prepared to go to such extremes, undertaking activities which surely could endanger lives.
For the first time quite possibly, competitors in a major Australian sporting event have had to be closely escorted to the starting points.
The protesters claim the rally will damage the environment, upset wildlife (which is mainly nocturnal) and disrupt people’s daily routine.
They even complained a school bus was delayed.
Yet this event has brought millions of dollars of business to Kingscliff and the surrounding towns.
It has also focused the world’s media on the area – but not in a good way. The rock throwers were reported in the New York Times and several London metropolitan daily papers, among many outlets around the globe.
Loeb said he did not want to be here but he had no choice; it is his job. And who can blame him?
Imagine the legendary MotoGP star Valentino Rossi or Roger Federer shuddering at the thought of competing in Australia because of a hostile reception.
But that is Melbourne and this is an area unused to hosting world events.
Either it gets used to it or Australia could surrender it to one of many other countries clamouring for a World Rally Championship round.
Mark Young
Guest
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/car-rally-rock-attack-story-false-20090909-fhna.html My Apologies Pat. It appears that the story was a beat up. The protestors were not throwing rocks at all! Have a good day
Mark Young
Guest
Is anyone here advocating that because you don't agree with a law, you can go ahead and break another law to prove your point? And in the course of breaking that law endanger the live of another person? By the way, Outside my window right now I am watching trees being uprooted on the streets around Sydney Olympic Park. Pretty stupid considering that Eastern Creek is twenty minutes down the M4. But it got rammed through with similarly dodgy legislation that Pat refers to above. But as much as I disagree with that decision, there is no way I would have any response but embarassment and shame if someone threw rocks at the drivers come December.
amused
Guest
this was foisted on the area with no consulations of the community, the environment, the locally elected council and the organiser is mates with the minister involved ( sir lunchalot ). you can throw out all sorts of claims about $$$ being brought in to sydney, coverage given etc, its all crap to put it politely. as for trying to link in a very marginal "sport" here in australia to the success that motogp or formula 1 or tennis enjoy here because they are mainstream sports/events enjoyed by many people, please pull the other one. it plays jingle bells. who really except for a noisy fringe group, really gives a toss about rally cars? as for "ageing hippies and aggressive environmentalists" yeah, i guess all the stuff they've done over the years like greenbans, environmental protection of fauna, wildlife and the environment etc has been terrible waste of time. why dont they hold a hummer rally next year and we can really see the benefit of this type of event? and hundreds of thousands of spectators in europe? please! they go nuts over a bunch of lycra clad men cycling up a mountain.
Chilled out
Guest
Hi guys. I can understand that you love your sport, but can I just say there is a time and a place! The areas of Nimbin and Uki are famous worldwide as alternative lifestyle and peaceful communities. Many people dream of visiting and retiring here. It is also incredibably beautiful and biodiverse. These are the reasons tourists come here and this is what underpins our local economy. Please leave us in peace. There are plenty of other places more suitable. That is all we ask. Is it really too much to ask? And by the way guys why don't you check out Sebastien Loebs website. The media have completely missquoted him and continue to vilify peaceloving locals. Sebastien Loeb claims he understands our oppostion and that most protesters were pretty cool. He gets it, so why don't all his fans? Yes people should be embarrassed about this shemozzle. Not the protesters, not the drivers, but the organisers should be very embarrassed at holding such an event in such a green, peaceloving area. Next time you come back here why don't you get out of your cars and see what we are talking about.
Pat OBrien
Guest
Hi Mark, My understanding is that the event was enabled by the NSW Motor Sports (WRC) Bill 2009, which overrode 12 different planning, environmental protection and heritage laws and removed all right of appeal, so a Court challenge was a waste of time and resources anyway. It would be interesting to know who paid for the "independedent" environmental report that found the event “unlikely to have any significant impact on the flora and fauna in the area.” Repco, the Council, and the NSW State government all supported the Rally, so are hardly independent. The bottom line is that this event was totally out of place in this area. Cheers, Pat
Mark Young
Guest
Gday Pat Rock's were thrown http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SPORT/09/04/rallying.protest.latvala.hirvonen.loeb/index.html I agree with you, it may have just been local kids, since no-one has owned up to it yet. And considering that they will end up in jail, I doubt that the cowards who threw them will come forward. Repco has outlets in Australia and New Zealand which technically qualifies them as a mutinational but realistically, they are hardly a giant global company. Also, I'm not sure how sponsoring a global motor racing event signifies that you have no conscience or scruples. As for whether the rally should have been held or not, CNN reports. "Environmental campaigners failed in legal attempts to get the rally cancelled, with the official Web site of the world rally championships www.wrc.com saying that an independent ecological report had concluded the race was "unlikely to have any significant impact on the flora and fauna in the area."" But to be blunt, we can argue about whether the rally should have taken place or not all day and will never agree. Which is not a problem, both viewpoints are valid. The point is that someone threw rocks at cars endangering the lives of the drivers and spectators. We must not downplay that cowardly act of bastardry to visitors to our country.
Pat OBrien
Guest
Nobody knows who threw rocks..it may have been kids...or some outraged local....if rocks were indeed thrown.... Repco is a multinational with typical multinational scruples and conscience. The point is the Rally should not have been held in such an area, its not as though Australia hasnt got any degraded farmland where they could have held it.....
NJ
Guest
We spent at least $200 each in the Kingscliff, Murwillumbah, and Kyogle areas over the last 4 days. So from a group of 4 that's $800 injected into the economy that wouldn't normally have been spent in the area; and we commuted there from Brisbane each day. Given the large numbers of spectators present at the rally (most that were staying in the Tweed shire) the amount of money injected into the economy would have easily been in the millions.
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
My understanding is that this particular rally is scheduled to alternate between Australia and New Zealand on the 2-year calendar of events. There will not be protests like this in NZ, and the event will be enthusiastically welcomed. Many Australian rally followers will come over for it. So, what price that the rally simply gets scheduled in NZ every year as a consequence of the actions in Australia? Although I have my own personal views, I do not wish to take sides on who is right and who is wrong with what went on at this Rally Australia. However I will say that often one gets what one wishes for.
Mark Young
Guest
Not sure about millions, but the baker sure seems pleased. http://www.reversepr.com.au/2009/09/06/978/repco-rally-australia-kyogle-bakery-cooks-up-a-storm/
Mark Young
Guest
Does this in any way excuse people throwing rocks at the cars as they went past? People have died from this before.
albatross
Guest
Yet this event has brought millions of dollars of business to Kingscliff and the surrounding towns. Do you have a reliable source for this proposition?
Pat OBrien
Guest
Apart from the stupidity of these sorts of hoon events when we are in peak oil, and many Aussies have trouble finding enough fuel money to take their kids to school or sports, local residents were run over roughshod by the event, and the event's organisers. So the competors left Australia feeling unwanted...so what...they were unwanted.....by many locals. And our wildlife is in enough trouble without these loonies tearing around bush roads.....go home and dont come back...all of you......and I suspect major protesst campaigns will be waged against Repco outlets too......
Mark Young
Guest
This is a complete disgrace. The rock throwers in particularly should be charged with recklessly endangering life. But from a wider sense, how embarassing that some small minded and selfish people cannot embrace a short competition that should have highlighted to the world what a beautiful place the north of NSW is. Embarassing and shameful. Risking the life of a driver or fan to highlight the plight of an animal or forest.
Tom
Guest
The protests were beyond ridiculous. The event will disturb wildlife? Please. It is cars driving along a road. That is what roads are for. The impact of their increased speed would be minimal at best. It will encourage people to drive fast? Well why don't we ban all motorsport from TV? It didn't seem to do that in WA when they had the rally, or any other countries with a WRC round, so why should it here? If the NIMBYS of Northern NSW don't want the rally, then I'm sure there are plenty of other venues which would be more than happy to take it off their hands.