The recent Repco Rally was so bad it turned Tweed Valley banana farmer/GP into a No Rally Group member. Here is her submission for the Review of the Motor Sports (WRC) Bill 2009. Anyone who accuses protestors of being 'green, hippie tree-huggers' should read this highly intelligent and shocking account of what happened on her street during the rally. Many anti-rally protesters are professionals just like her (teachers, writers, business people, film makers, artists, farmers, politicians) and their voices need to be heard.
National Parks & Wildlife have given two licences to Bathurst Regional Council to shoot 140 kangaroos on Mount Panorama, home of Bathurst’s car race to be held in 2 weeks.
"These are the last of the actual town’s kangaroos – the last of thousands of generations that have been pushed into the small pocket of Mnt Panorama and managing to survive." See also, these articles, for similar concerns about cruelty to wildlife during another recent car rally.
Anyone who has been in awe at the beauty of nature, its perfection of form and the delights it brings to the heart, the soothing of 21st century stress and upliftment of the soul would most likely have had the same response that I had while observing outrageously loud and wrecklessly fast racing cars shatter the silence as they ripped through the most pristine rainforests of Australia ....
In a Media Release, Katie Milne the one Tweed Shire Councillor who stood steadfastly with her community against the invasion of her region by the environmentally destructive World Rally race last weekend, demanded to know why Repco Rally organiser Garry Connolly allowed media vilification of anti-rally protestors to escalate for nearly a week knowing that allegations that anti-Rally protestors had thrown rocks at cars to be false. In the meantime, accounts of attacks against protestors by Rally supporters, including the hurling of projectiles, went unreported by the newsmedia.
We publish and answer here pro-rally comments from "Jack," accusing "Greenies" of violence. Perhaps this is a classical case of "People in glass houses should not throw stones" - only who is in the glass house here? It is hard to deal with behaviour which has rightly been accused of causing threat to human life when you know that the situation which probably caused it left any protesters few if any legal or safe alternatives. Did Repco's and the NSW Government's actions place citizens in an untenable position by suspending environmental protection and democratic rights?
I took a leisurely long drive along most of the rally route and was amazed at how many native animals appeared either on the road or beside the road. It was very hard to imagine that in just one week, these animals would be either struck by insanely fast airborne cars, flying sideways around corners, or terrorised and die of stress myopathy. If only people had the foresight to realise the disaster that is about to be visited upon us....
"We knew we were gone when the Judge said,
'Time's up, you’ve got one more issue you can raise.' We hadn’t even started. We had only just got past the argument where she dismissed both our ecologists’ reports." Before it has even been run, the REPCO car race has damaged local democracy with impacts far exceeding local boundaries. Environment and democracy, go hand in hand. Environmental destruction and corruption follow closely behind destruction of democracy through unbridled commerce. We think that all judges in the land should be concerned about this.
Urgent action is required! International pressure valued. Please take 5 minutes to email or phone Peter Garrett's office letting him know that you want this rally stopped. It's insane to have any rally in such an extremely biodiverse area as Tweed/Kyogle Shire, NSW, going through national parks, koala colonies, endangered species habitat and World Heritage areas with nationally listed threatened species let alone in breeding season, let alone for the next 10-20 years, let alone four of them at once (Speed on Tweed, Repco Rally International, Classic Outback Trial Rally and Australian Tarmac Challenge) converging on Father's Day!SIGN INTERNATIONAL PETITION TO SAVE AUSTRALIA'S ENVIRONMENT AGAINST RALLY NOW
Sylvia Hale, NSW Greens MP and Local Government spokesperson has slammed Tweed Council for imposing a ban on its Councillors disclosing information to the media.
And you thought "Rats in the Ranks" was nasty ...
More on the people involved in the fast-approaching, undemocratic Repco Rally in the world heritage Green Cauldron area of Northern NSW including the Tweed Valley and Kyogle.
An online petition has been started following the NSW state government passing "special events" legislation to enable Repco Rally Australia to go ahead.
The psychological condition of "solistalgia" is now widespread in the North Coast area [where REPCO rally push is]. Solistalgia is defined as "the deep distress induced by environmental change, which is exacerbated by the sense of powerlessness and loss of control over the changes that are occurring". "I do not approve of anything that can be construed as a misuse of power and, therefore, I will not support any bill that allows large-scale events unwanted by the people who would have to host them."
Note that Dr Moyes was actually initially physically locked out of the room where this bill was being debated. You can read about that Which MPs voted for and against the REPCO Rally law in NSW Parliament?
Hansard, the Parliamentary report publication, beats The Australian, The Courier Mail, The Age and any number of newspapers any day. Tuesday 26 June in NSW Parliament was a bumper issue, with a parliamentarian beating on locked doors and chaotic debating worthy of Lewis Carol's Alice In Wonderland's "Caucus Race". But the issues were serious and, although the majority voted the Repco rally facilitating bill in, that doesn't mean that justice was done or that democracy was served.
Local community groups in the Tweed Valley and Kyogle are outraged at their treatment by Repco Rally Australia and their consultants who prepared a crucial report supporting a planned car rally in the area in September.
In a letter to NSW Premier Nathan Rees, a Pensioner describes how the imposition of a car rally on the people of Kyogle by state Government which does nothing for the area will add to the almost crippling financial burden caused by a combination of removal of rail services and neglect of local roads, and may well endanger his life.
Tweed Shire Mayor has been emailed information about three councils in Sydney who have rejected a similar rally to the Repco rally in the Sydney Olympic Park. A lengthy report from 20 years of analysing the so called 'economic benefits' of mega sport events was also sent. She has been apprised of efforts in W.A. to protect endangered species, much needed here with 2/3rds of our species at risk. Yet not a word of reply and three weeks has passed .... is biodiversity not an issue for her in spite of her support of eco tourism? What kind of tourist would want to do an eco tour of an area where all the species were extinct?
Dr Gordon Moyes, a member of the NSW Legislative Council describes the environmental, social and economic harm that will result if the NSW Government proceeds with its plan to convert the Sydney Olympic Park into a V8 Racing area against the wishes of local residents. Nathan Rees, the Premier of NSW, who has a personal fetish for the ecologically destructive sport of motor racing, is also threatening to impose the World Rally motor race on the Kyogle and Tweed Shires, also against the wishes of local residents.
The NSW state government has taken the decision about planning approval for the proposed Repco Rally Australia leg of the World Rally Championships away from local councils by announcing that it would prepare special events legislation to ensure the rally goes ahead despite growing local opposition. The minister responsible is Ian MacDonald, Minister for State Development, Energy, Primary Industries, and mineral resources (pictured left).
FEARS that the NSW Government is about to override council planning powers to approve the world championship car rally heightened yesterday as hundreds of protesters marched against the event.
At the same time concerns were raised that if the rally was approved, future
protest actions could disrupt it as objectors took matters into their own
hands.
Police escorted about 300 protesters, some in cardboard mock-ups of rally cars and some dressed as koalas, wallabies or other animals which they said would be put at risk by rally cars on rural roads, through Murwillumbah.
...
Outside the Tweed Shire Council chambers anti-rally speakers addressed the
crowd on environmental and other concerns.
Byron-based NSW Greens Party Upper House member Ian Cohen said he was worried the government could override council planning powers to approve the event which it has promised the help fund.
Media Release from No Rally group. Use as you can. "Concerned Tweed Valley residents will express their opposition on Thursday to the proposal to hold a leg of the World Rally Championships in the Tweed and Kyogle areas..."
A short video highlighting some of the environmental concerns we have about Repco Rally Australia's plans to run a car rally through the Tweed and Kyogle areas.
There is a Simpson's episode where a "snake oil salesman" comes to Springfield promoting something or other. The actual thing they are promoting is useless, worthless and does not work ... BUT ... they do a nice song and dance routine and as a result captivate the community leaders. Sound familiar??? It does to us in the Tweed valley and Kyogle areas. Talk about life imitating art!!!
Repco Rally Australia spin merchants have outdone themselves in the last few days. Not only have they spun their web of deceit around the NSW state government and the Tweed Shire Council they have now caught themselves in their own web by posting comments from their "independent" ecological consultant that he did not say. They were caught out very publicly on ABC local radio yesterday.
Why do we tolerate it?
Why do politicians, as soon as they taste power, think they have rights akin to the kings of old, to splurge on personal fetishes and pet hobbies using taxpayers' money and abuse the rights of local citizens?
Take Nathan Rees, who came to power as New South Wales Premier by default. His personal passion for V8 racing, quickly saw his approval for V8 Supercar races at Sydney Olympic Park (Homebush) requiring a $30 million subsidy from taxpayers funds.
Repco Rally Australia Chairman Garry Connelly announced via NBN TV News and the Tweed Daily News that his organisation would be releasing the environmental, social and economic impact reports for the proposed rally in the Tweed and Kyogle areas "in stages" over the next week or so.
In a speech to the NSW Legislative Council, Greens MP Ian Cohen argued the strong environmental, social and economic case against the World Rally Car Race planned for September that the NSW state government and Kyogle and Tweed Shire Councils are imposing at the last minute against the wishes of local residents. He pointed out that the race organisers were treating the holding of the event as a foregone conclusion even though the formal approval process has not even begun, let alone concluded?
See also:No Rally group web site, Kyogle KRATER "No Rally, thank you!" group web site.
The recent Repco Rally was so bad it turned Tweed Valley banana farmer/GP into a No Rally Group member. Here is her submission for the Review of the Motor Sports (WRC) Bill 2009. Anyone who accuses protestors of being 'green, hippie tree-huggers' should read this highly intelligent and shocking account of what happened on her street during the rally. Many anti-rally protesters are professionals just like her (teachers, writers, business people, film makers, artists, farmers, politicians) and their voices need to be heard. 
National Parks & Wildlife have given two licences to Bathurst Regional Council to shoot 140 kangaroos on Mount Panorama, home of Bathurst’s car race to be held in 2 weeks.
We publish and answer here pro-rally comments from "Jack," accusing "Greenies" of violence. Perhaps this is a classical case of "People in glass houses should not throw stones" - only who is in the glass house here? It is hard to deal with behaviour which has rightly been accused of causing threat to human life when you know that the situation which probably caused it left any protesters few if any legal or safe alternatives. Did Repco's and the NSW Government's actions place citizens in an untenable position by suspending environmental protection and democratic rights? 
"We knew we were gone when the Judge said,
A new video has been uploaded to You Tube as part of our continuing campaign against Repco Rally Australia.
The saga continues .... now Tweed Shire councillors are turning on each other over the rally and their response to it.
The psychological condition of "solistalgia" is now widespread in the North Coast area [where REPCO rally push is]. Solistalgia is defined as "the deep distress induced by environmental change, which is exacerbated by the sense of powerlessness and loss of control over the changes that are occurring". "I do not approve of anything that can be construed as a misuse of power and, therefore, I will not support any bill that allows large-scale events unwanted by the people who would have to host them."
Hansard, the Parliamentary report publication, beats The Australian, The Courier Mail, The Age and any number of newspapers any day. Tuesday 26 June in NSW Parliament was a bumper issue, with a parliamentarian beating on locked doors and chaotic debating worthy of Lewis Carol's Alice In Wonderland's "Caucus Race". But the issues were serious and, although the majority voted the Repco rally facilitating bill in, that doesn't mean that justice was done or that democracy was served. 
The NSW state government has taken the decision about planning approval for the proposed Repco Rally Australia leg of the World Rally Championships away from local councils by announcing that it would prepare special events legislation to ensure the rally goes ahead despite growing local opposition. The minister responsible is Ian MacDonald, Minister for State Development, Energy, Primary Industries, and mineral resources (pictured left). 
Media Release from No Rally group. Use as you can. "Concerned Tweed Valley residents will express their opposition on Thursday to the proposal to hold a leg of the World Rally Championships in the Tweed and Kyogle areas..."
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