No Rally Group: Rally’s Departure a Big Win for Tweed
No Rally Group members, and our many supporters, are breathing a collective sigh of relief today with the end of a ‘David and Goliath’ struggle.
The news that the World Rally Championship will not return to Tweed and Kyogle is a victory for common sense, residents’ rights, our local economy, and the safety of people and wildlife.
It’s a win for our ecotourism industry, which should be nurtured as the natural tourism drawcard for the region. It’s a win for safe driving on our dangerous roads. It’s a win for our national parks which need to be protected for all non-human species. And it’s a win for the community, who can now start to work together to decide which events truly reflect the character and future of our region.
It’s not often a community group sees success in a fight to protect ourselves and our environment against poor governance and the depredations of big business. It can only be put down to the passion of the many locals who love the Tweed and want to see it develop in a sensible, safe and sustainable direction.
This is a vote of no confidence in the review, which was criticised from the start because of its limited scope, secretive procedures and the fact it was conducted by the unqualified CEO of a marketing company.
We thank everyone in the community who has supported us morally, financially, and with the thousands of letters you have written to government departments, rally organisers and media.
This outcome supports our view that in 2010 it is just not appropriate to change the law for the sake of political prestige and big business profits, or to use national parks, World Heritage Areas and residential roads as a staging ground for rally racing.
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I say congratulations to all those involved in this triumph. I especially thank the Greens Member, Ian Cohen, whom I supported all the way in this win for the community, the environment and the tax payer.
REV THE HON DR GORDON MOYES AC MLC