Geelong Speed Trials called off again

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History at risk
Cities circle speed trials

BY ANDREW MATHIESON
Other venues are circling Geelong's speed trials as the historic event spends another year off the city's major events calendar, the organiser has warned.

Speed trials director Gary Grant said he was resisting offers to shift the event but interest was coming from prospective hosts including Melbourne's Docklands. The trials have been a Geelong institution since 1956 but have gone into recess since 2004 amid a dispute between Mr. Grant and City Hall.

A return this year has been ruled out. Mr. Grant said he was fielding offers to host the trials outside Geelong "all the time". He did not want to take the event to Docklands. "It wouldn't be the same," Mr Grant said. "You can't substitute history." Mr Grant, a state manager with Australian Motor-sport, admitted to "frustration" over a lack of support from Geelong's council. "I'm helping run or facilitating events around Victoria but I can't run something significant in my own backyard," he said.

Mr Grant blamed "ideology" at City Hall for the fall out as well as a new generation of councillors and officers who "wanted to do their own things". Council major events portfolio-holder Bruce Harwood denied Mr Grant's allegations that City Hall would not cooperate. "The City has in the past recommended a range of improvement options relating to the event's infrastructure, funding, management and sponsorship procurement, with the key issue being the disruption to traffic and other activities on the waterfront,” he said. Council's Geelong Major Events had not received a funding application for the speed trials since 2004, Cr Harwood said.

Taken from Geelong Independent 4/8/06