Rally Australia

[Camelopard]

In todays SMH: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/co...0806-ebju.html I was trying to repeat parts of the story here, but the formatting was all wrong, you will have to go to their website!

[WRCfan]

Pack the rally up and go somewhere where the hippies won't moan and complain!

[Camelopard]

See if this works: World rally leg 'threatens' NSW species Habitat at risk ... (clockwise from top) eastern bristlebird, spotted-tailed quoll and giant barred frog. Habitat at risk ... (clockwise from top) eastern wattlebird, spotted-tailed quoll and giant barred frog. Paul Bibby, Urban Affairs Reporter August 7, 2009 NEXT month's leg of the World Rally Championships in northern NSW could have a serious impact on endangered plant and animal species, two independent environment assessments have revealed. The race is three weeks away but the State Government has not imposed a single environmental protection measure. Covering about 350 kilometres on the fringe of national parks in the Tweed and Kyogle local government areas, the race came to fruition after the Government rushed legislation overriding planning, national parks and Aboriginal cultural heritage laws through Parliament earlier this year. Under these laws, the assessment of its environmental impacts have been left almost entirely to its organiser, Repco Rally Australia. It commissioned an ecological assessment - which found that there would be little impact. However two assessments commissioned by the local communities show that the rally could seriously threaten endangered, threatened or vulnerable flora and fauna. In their reports, ecologists Dr Stephen Ambrose and Mark Graham found the rally had the potential to disrupt the breeding cycle and erode the habitat of the giant barred frog, Fleay's barred frog, eastern bristlebird and spotted-tailed quoll - all threatened species. They also slammed the assessment commissioned by Rally Australia for failing to consider the impact on 34 migratory species known to occur within five kilometres of the rally circuit. "Their report doesn't do justice to the impact on this site of environmental significance - there are a series of very obvious errors," Mr Graham said. But the chairman of the rally's organising committee, Garry Connelly, strenuously defended its assessment, undertaken by an ecologist, Dr Stephen Phillips. "[He] went over every metre of every competition area and produced a 400-page, peer reviewed report," Mr Connelly said. "We will implement all environmental protection measures recommended by Dr Phillips." It appears these are the only environmental protection measures organisers will have to implement. When the legislation was passed, the Government promised to impose restrictions for the purposes of conservation on Rally Australia. It has not yet done so. A spokesman for the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, said the Government was still seeking "feedback from agencies and local councils [on] environmental, health and safety issues".

[Camelopard]

World rally leg 'threatens' NSW species Paul Bibby, Urban Affairs Reporter August 7, 2009 NEXT month's leg of the World Rally Championships in northern NSW could have a serious impact on endangered plant and animal species, two independent environment assessments have revealed. The race is three weeks away but the State Government has not imposed a single environmental protection measure. Covering about 350 kilometres on the fringe of national parks in the Tweed and Kyogle local government areas, the race came to fruition after the Government rushed legislation overriding planning, national parks and Aboriginal cultural heritage laws through Parliament earlier this year. Under these laws, the assessment of its environmental impacts have been left almost entirely to its organiser, Repco Rally Australia. It commissioned an ecological assessment - which found that there would be little impact. However two assessments commissioned by the local communities show that the rally could seriously threaten endangered, threatened or vulnerable flora and fauna. In their reports, ecologists Dr Stephen Ambrose and Mark Graham found the rally had the potential to disrupt the breeding cycle and erode the habitat of the giant barred frog, Fleay's barred frog, eastern bristlebird and spotted-tailed quoll - all threatened species. They also slammed the assessment commissioned by Rally Australia for failing to consider the impact on 34 migratory species known to occur within five kilometres of the rally circuit. "Their report doesn't do justice to the impact on this site of environmental significance - there are a series of very obvious errors," Mr Graham said. But the chairman of the rally's organising committee, Garry Connelly, strenuously defended its assessment, undertaken by an ecologist, Dr Stephen Phillips. "[He] went over every metre of every competition area and produced a 400-page, peer reviewed report," Mr Connelly said. "We will implement all environmental protection measures recommended by Dr Phillips." It appears these are the only environmental protection measures organisers will have to implement. When the legislation was passed, the Government promised to impose restrictions for the purposes of conservation on Rally Australia. It has not yet done so. A spokesman for the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, said the Government was still seeking "feedback from agencies and local councils [on] environmental, health and safety issues".

[jbmarcus21]

Google Earth Map of Australia Rally online : http://planetemarcus.free.fr/googleearthmap.htm

[Camelopard]

Neal Bates has entered Rally Australia:

http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/new...lly_australia/

[Wim_Impreza]

Nice article and good to see Australian top drivers like Bates and Crocker in this rally. Hopefully Atkinson can participate too. Thanks, Camelopard.

[tolis]

When will the entry list be announced?

[TheFamousEccles]

"In their reports, ecologists Dr Stephen Ambrose and Mark Graham found the rally had the potential to disrupt the breeding cycle and erode the habitat of the giant barred frog, Fleay's barred frog, eastern bristlebird and spotted-tailed quoll - all threatened species."

This is a favoured tactic of greenies, and others who want to stop anything that doesn't fit their idea of "suitable" pastimes. Words like "potential to disrupt" are nebulous and don't address any real issues. Only partially inform and mislead.

The SMH is no stranger to skewing reportage to suit it's own purposes (ie: getting people all wound up and, consequently, selling papers), I wonder if Paul Bibby - Urban affairs reporter, has read the report commissioned by the organisers? Personally I doubt it. It was peer-reviewed after all, maybe it might contradict the assertions made by others and actually make sense.

Why let the details get in the way of a good story? And the implication that the study commissioned by the organisers would not be adequate "It (Rally Australia) commissioned an ecological assessment - which found that there would be little impact." is further muck raking without providing any evidence or balance to the story or the issues therein.

But what more could I expect from the SMH?

Ok, rant over. Back to whatever you were doing.

[Camelopard]

Mr and Mrs Mods, can this be made the 'Official Rally Australia' thread?