Govt spin in overdrive for MotoGP announcement
Not a single Adelaide City councillor or much-spruiked ‘consultant’ conservationist was in sight at yesterday’s carefully orchestrated park lands announcement, Mike Smithson says.
The ever-wily Premier Peter Malinauskas chose a big-ticket announcement with a small target strategy to unveil his MotoGP circuit grand plan.
Courtesy of this column in InDaily last week, most objectors to Adelaide’s latest major sporting event and further tree destruction it will cause in the Adelaide Park Lands, were tipped off that all would be revealed yesterday.
The government’s ever alert spin doctors didn’t inform the media of the 11am press conference until about an hour beforehand.
Their location was a tried and tested, secure city location in an arts cinema complex in Light Square.
The government would always argue that venue suited its audio-visual display, which is true, but it also prevented any unwanted visitors from hijacking the announcement which would have been a certainty in a public space.
Logic tells you that an onsite media conference in Victoria Park would have been the perfect backdrop on a beautifully sunny Sunday morning to showcase Adelaide’s natural charm.
Instead, it was carefully orchestrated in a darkened surround-sound studio with selected guests.
As I’ve also predicted, the Premier is steadily moving towards an inclusive park lands evolution which links various areas to a new era of community participation.
That may be extended to other park lands to the south and west over time, with a complete state government take over, but for the moment it’s one step at a time.
Public consultation is now open until September 20 for everyone to have their say on almost 400 trees being removed, new bitumen laid and large gravel pit run off areas for errant motor bike riders travelling at more than 340 kph.
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“These guys are lunatics,” Peter Malinauskas stated at yesterday’s track unveiling.
That was an unfortunate expression considering that, unbeknown to him, a sidecar rider had just died in an accident at The Bend circuit, near Tailem Bend.
The government is proud of its $15 million promise to plant almost 3,800 new trees, with examples of the trees being present at the press announcement in big, agricultural baskets alongside the Premier.
“We’re not offsetting it by doing trees somewhere else,” he said.
“This is an investment in the park lands for the park lands.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say that the park lands are for the people and it’s for everyone, and I agree.
“The difference is I’m prepared to include motorsport fans and the Fringe and equestrian and everyone else using it day to day.
“If you genuinely believe in the park lands for the people, then you’ve got to support this project.
“It’s better for the environment, better for community use, better for major events and better for the state’s interests at large.”
So, against that glowing backdrop it seemed strange, that with a such a significant announcement, no-one from Adelaide City Council was invited or even knew the time or location of the Premier’s big moment.
Conservation Council SA, which had been briefed by the Premier, also didn’t make the cut of invitees who were present.
The Lord Mayor should know by now that she is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the Premier’s plans.
He’ll do whatever he wants, with or without her co-operation, because he says the MotoGP will generate $200 million worth of economic benefit annually with a global television audience of 630 million fans.
The uniqueness of Adelaide, and its quaint park lands street circuit, may even draw them to SA in the future for big spending holidays.
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Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith knows the city council won’t be stung for any of these upgrade costs and that helps her bottom line.
But if Adelaide City Council loses control of all park land areas, the Lord Mayor’s official presence at any such events would be more of a fly-in-the-ointment irritation for the Premier, than an asset.
Peter Malinauskas eloquently stated his case and vision for consultation with the wider public but barely gave City Hall a mention.
He dished out a slap, claiming they may be the only complainants to his plan and then laughingly half apologised for the deliberate back hander.
I’m impressed with the overall vision, which includes Supercars and the Tour Down Under, despite having a take-it, or leave-it stance on motor bikes racing in the city.
I was also interested to hear his carefully constructed spin about shifting the current pit area to the eastern side of the course which will be highly visible from Fullarton Road.
Having been leaked details of a permanent structure idea, my ears were pricked during that part of the Mali manifest.
The current demountable pit structure for the Supercars has passed its use-by date and costs a fortune to construct and deconstruct each year.
However, the Premier did let the cat of the bag that a permanent replacement had been considered but was rejected in favour of new, time-efficient technology.
So, when the new-look pits are taken away after the race season ends, the concrete hard stand can be re-gifted to the public as tennis courts and other recreational facilities.
Again, that’s a good result, but it seems the council had no knowledge or say in that process.
Fringe and equestrian infrastructure will also be improved for year-round use.
That also comes out of the government’s budget rather than the Adelaide City Council’s coffers.
The Premier is a smart operator and will continue to tough it out against any opposition to his plan.
He always looks to the economic success of new events and facilities to counteract the negatives.
When world-class riders roar around the city and we again become a global, sporting focal point he’ll quietly say, “I told you so.”
And he might be correct.
Lifting Adelaide to a new level and status has been his hard sell technique from the moment he was elected and it will continue.
Mike Smithson is weekend newsreader and political analyst for 7News.
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