Rally Australia

[raybak]

Here's a press release from CAMS regarding Rally Australia. Good news for all as the roads are so much better.


Rally Australia, Australia's round of the FIA World Rally Championship ("WRC"), will relocate to Coffs Harbour from 2011.

Coffs Coast has played a major role in Australian rally history, hosting many competitive stages of the famous International Southern Cross Rally in the 1960s and 1970s and more recently, regularly hosting a round of the Australian Rally Championship. The area, with its myriad of well maintained gravel forestry and shire roads, is regarded as having some of the best rally stages in Australia.

In announcing the move, President of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport ("CAMS") Mr Andrew Papadopoulos said the new location would allow the event to be designed on more compact lines and would bring to competitors and manufacturers in the WRC some of the most exciting and spectacular rally stages Australia could offer, based in one of Australia's most famous coastal regions.

"We are disappointed to be leaving the Northern Rivers area. We had very strong support there from the councils of Tweed and Kyogle, the local businesses and the majority of residents and I thank all those people for their support,” Mr Papadopoulos said.

“However, during this year we have in conjunction with our sporting officials and independent consultants and with considerable feedback from the FIA, North One Sport (the commercial rights holder for the World Rally Championship) and various teams and manufacturers, come to the conclusion that despite the overwhelming support we received, it is simply not feasible or practical to locate the event there in the future.”

Mr Papadopoulos said that a meeting of the FIA WRC Commission in Paris yesterday had endorsed the change of venue.

In welcoming the rally, the Mayor of Coffs Harbour City Council, Councillor Keith Rhoades said: “This is an absolutely fantastic opportunity for the Coffs Harbour region. The World Rally Championship is broadcast in 186 countries and has a global audience of 53 million viewers. From an economic perspective, we would see around $15 million directly injected into the local economy through this one event alone. Coffs Harbour has successfully staged legs of the Australian Championships in the past and I’m confident we will provide a great venue for the World Rally Championships in 2011.”

The three local government areas in the Coffs Coast region comprise the Coffs Harbour City Council, Bellingen Shire Council and Nambucca Shire Council.

Planning for the rally will commence immediately with extensive community consultation with all affected parties in particular the local councils in relation to the choice of the exact route and location of event infrastructure such as the Service Park, Media Centre and Rally Headquarters.

Mayor Rhoades stated: "There are many options available because we have been used to hosting rallies now for many decades. But securing a major world class event of this magnitude and significance is something for us all to be extremely pleased about."

The date of the event will be finalised soon pending discussions with television networks, the WRC Commercial Rights Holder (North One Sport) and the FIA, plus local resorts and businesses.

The Coffs Coast is located 500kms north of Sydney.

The Coffs Harbour Airport, the busiest regional airport on Australia's East Coast, has frequent regular direct jet flights to Sydney and Brisbane. It has a large accommodation base ranging from 4 star resorts to serviced apartments, hotels and motels, and budget-priced accommodation. September weather in Coffs is typically warm, dry and perfect for both interstate and overseas visitors.

[bluuford]

That is a nice place :-)

200 km away from the hippies and almost halfway from Sydney to Brisbane.

The roads end the scenery were nice indeed!

I liked the harbor jetty, there was nice walk along the jetty to some kind of Island :-)

[6789]

Best thing they could have done. I live 2 hours inland, so anyone who wants to come over from Europe.. We're getting a share house near Coffs. I've been up that island Bluuford.. Way to steap!

Roads are quite fast but more technical than the other rally. How would you describe Coffs Rally? There's alot of thick scrub!!

[grugsticles]

Best thing they could have done. I live 2 hours inland, so anyone who wants to come over from Europe.. We're getting a share house near Coffs. I've been up that island Bluuford.. Way to steap!

Roads are quite fast but more technical than the other rally. How would you describe Coffs Rally? There's alot of thick scrub!!

What roads are they planning on using?
Are they used by the NSW round of the ARC?

Might have to get my fat arse there this year!

[6789]

What roads are they planning on using?
Are they used by the NSW round of the ARC?

Might have to get my fat arse there this year!

To be honest I'm not exactly sure, my guess is they'll use the same roads as the ARC. One day South, North and Inland with service park somewhere in Coffs Harbour. If they do use the ARC rounds, guys who have run the event with good pace notes would probably be able to help the manufacturer teams. Sounds like a possibility?

Being closer to Sydney should be great for the event. Those people from Gold Coast who enjoyed the rally last year should come down.

[ShiftingGears]

That is a nice place :-)

200 km away from the hippies

Heh...further away from Nimbin. Always ideal.

I can't say I've experienced much of Coffs besides taking a train through the Banana Plantations. Might be worth a trip.


What rally is it comparable to, as far as roads are concerned?

[GigiGalliNo1]

Great! I don't know where it is though... can someone give me a base town where it could be held, then shall google map it and i'll be there at the next round!

[GigiGalliNo1]

Oh wait... Coffs Harbour.

[Zeakiwi]

What are the road surfaces like these days ?