Australian Motorsport - is it going the way of the Australian Cricket Team?

There are undeniable facts that certain parts of our society do not want to admit to - one of these facts is that the majority of drivers speed. I know this as I regularly slot into the tradies 5am conga line on one of Australia’s major freeways. If you don't maintain the minimum (roughly 15km/ph above the signed speed limit) you will end up with a Double-B blocking the view of everything else in your mirror.

I can propose many reasons for this;

• We are simply in a hurry - let's face it, for most of us our two major issues relate to time and money.
• With current car technology, 110kph can feel like you are standing still. In many cars it is so boring and rhythmic it could induce sleep.
• Most importantly, many people (both male and female) simply like to go fast. Its human nature and the Olympic creed. Higher, Faster, Stronger.....

The trouble is for responsible people who want to indulge their passion, their sport; there is little opportunity to do so. As of the end of this year there will be one less place available. Oran Park closes with the final round of the 2009 V8 Supercar Series. One less place to speed responsibly. The state government has purchased it for housing development. Land is so scarce out west they have to pick Oran Park for this. If you have Google Earth indulge me fo a minute and type in Oran Park NSW - it will fly you straight there. Now zoom out - you will see there is no other land available until you reach Broken Hill.

If Oran Park was in America it would be re-developed as a residential sports complex where the purchase of a block gives membership to the clubhouse as well as track time. Why is that concept socially unacceptable to us here in Australia. Like Luna Park people will buy into the area and then try to shut it down using the noise lobbyists. Skaters have council run, Rotary and Lions sponsored skate parks, Golfers have a course almost in every suburb, surfers are living in Nirvana - what do we have - not much, and at the end of this year a high percentage less. Cricket and Tennis have professionally run junior development programs with competitions every weekend in every area.. Motorsport has as many if not more enthusiasts, what do we have? - Sweet you know what.

So here is what I want; let's save Oran Park - I know you think it's too late - but I say we have an opportunity. There is 42 Billion floating around at the moment...... I was with Malcom Turnbull, block the 300-950 dollars for the 12.7 million eligible to receive it. Take that 42 billion and let’s get wiser and more imaginative. Lets do the American style complex - I bet the project could make money and employ quite a few people. Take a few million out of that 42 Billion.

Don't laugh; it's better than the current proposal. $950 if you earn less than 80k. We all know where that is going to end up;

• 50% will find its' way into the urinary, pulmonary and/or respiratory tracts. Which will result in;
  • extra stress on our ambulance, hospital, DOCS and jail systems - and they are just coping soooo well now.
• Needn't worry about the digestive track - it's fully stuffed without additional inputs, And then again there is probably a percentage of familles that can go from 5 to 6 McDonalds dinners a week with the handout.
• 25% will go to companies with names like Crown, Star, Jupiter’s, Aristocrat or the strange one, Totalizator Agency Board. This will result in;
  • Extra stress on St Vincent DePaul and the Red Cross - so instead of our Government giving them a helping hand, it will end up costing them, and ultimately us..
• 20% to JB, Harvey or Clive for that 50" plasma, trouble is the average price is $1750 which means 20% of the 12.7m eligible for the $300 to $950 will put and additional $800 to $1400 on their credit card to get that plasma they always wanted
• 5% may stimulate the economy, but as the other 95% have probably had a costly and detrimental effect of physical & mental health of society - big deal.

So here is my proposal. Give each of the eligible 12.7 million people a lottery ticket. The prize up for grabs is 42,000 chances to be a millionaire. What would you really rather, $950 or a 1 in 3300 chance of a million dollars. Those odds are massively better than Lotto and you are all paying for those tickets.

Why do this? Forty two thousand instant millionaires. 42000 home purchases, a percentage of which will go to people who had no hope of ever owning their own home, another percentage will become available as rental properties. Forty two thousand holidays, forty two thousand proper shopping sprees and the big one - forty two Thousand new cars - which is close to enough to fix our car industry - and keep several thousand people in work.

And don't forget we still need to save Oran Park this year.

Rod Halligan