We can have democracy or we can have the Repco Rally.
It has been interesting watching the posturing surrounding this event. It seems like an ideological battle, with those wishing to exploit winning the day.
The Rudd Government won the last election on a platform of addressing climate change as a mater of urgency. Much as we are still waiting for some leadership on this, the ideological link to this is clear. Much of the electorate expects a responsible leadership to perhaps do things like mandate sustainable development in regard to climate change, slowdown use of fossil fuels and be pro-active in the development sustainable alternatives. Naturally the electorate could easily expect State Labour Governments to identify with these worthy ideals. The big problem here is obvious. Governments don't get re-elected by promising and delivering less. It is not the nature of capitalist democracy.
The Repco (WRC) Rally came to the Northern Rivers after the Western Australian Government decided that it was not good value in regard to employment, tourism and their economic returns. It seems the "planet's not dying quick enough for us" lobby would have to find another sucker to host the Australian leg of the tour. Apart from the planet, what can you lose from economic activity.
Fortunately there was Mike Rayner the general manager of Tweed Shire was also the director of World Rally Australia, the body responsible for staging the Australian leg of the event. Before anyone could get to excited about conflict of interest or will of the people, the State Government deemed it a special event and legislated away any obstacles to it not occurring. The meaning we can take from this is , It's not corruption if you don't have to explain anything. The big claim of increased tourism is unlikely to be enough to match the tax payer contribution. The electorate is saddled with a planet killing ideology and the electorate can not even question if we can afford it and expect an answer.
There is not a petrol driven competition anywhere that is designed to encourage people to use cars less. I have not done a survey, I just look at the companies that think they will profit from sponsoring such events. From an environmental point of view there is no future in such events. The industry should get over it and think of something that helps. This is where climate change denial is at it's strongest and the state government has teamed up with this lobby. There is much information about the impacts of the rally at Can Do Better . It is a good compilation of stories surrounding the event.
The north coast region is a destination for people who want to live a non mainstream lifestyle . They have gone to a lot of trouble to make sure their lifestyle choices do not affect the general population. Indeed Lismore highlights alternative lifestyles as a tourist feature of the district. To have their lifestyles threatened in their own back yards and not give them a say, is asking for trouble. Lismore knows how to increase tourism. Just open a hemp bar in Nimbin and call it alternative. Despite being far off the beaten track Nimbin has become the premier tour bus destination for backpackers in the country. It is a staple of the Byron Bay and Lismore economy. All on the back of hemp and freedom. Tweed Shire would see more economic benefit from opening a couple of Hemp cafés than a car race.
Hemp tourism happens all year around and does not require fossil fuel sponsorship to occur. It does not threaten the environment. In fact the state government spends lots of our money on stopping this happening and it still happens anyway. This is at the heart of the ideological battle. The conservative imagination would like the district to be internationally renown for something apart from hemp. Anything really, even climate change denial.
The race organisers will be very lucky if a few rocks is the only trouble they get. It is only a matter of time before the sponsors of the event are targeted. Like the race protests anybody interfering with Repco's right to exploit, will be victimized. Repco has the freedom to have a race and exploit the market, the only freedom I have in this is to bitch about it here and to let Repco know I will not support them in the market, probably about once a week for the duration of the sponsorship. Ah, freedom and democracy there is nothing like it and I hope this is nothing like it.
So what are the advantages to the area for having this event, that the Western Australian Government could not see? It is a bit hard to tell as the special events legislation shrouds any possibility of accountability. However it can not shroud the stench of unaccountable snouts hiding their troughs for as long as they can and how ineffectual our system is in meeting our needs for the future.
The lack of accountability confines this government to an unelectable future. They do however have the credibility derived from John Della Bosca doing his fly up.
Grimditch
Tweed Region
Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents.Email ncvguestpeak at live dot com dot au to submit comment for consideration.
