Gold Coast 600... Gone....???

[D.R.T.]

Potentially another government pulling the pin. Looking at the online poll next in the story, seems the public agree.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1226405902727

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Potentially another government pulling the pin. Looking at the online poll next in the story, seems the public agree.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/q...-1226405902727

Too much money with very little real benefit for the local population , the disruption is just not worth the hassle - go spend the $$$ on a real circuit so that more people can get the use of it.
The Government is really broke and they are tightening the purse strings on all their spending so it will be no surprise to see it canned.

[Umai Naa]

Oh noes!

What will Tony and his cronies do if they lose the Gold Coast and Homebush events?

They'll have to start looking at the likes of Calder and Mallala again to keep the calander interesting. Surely, the teams wont want to spend half the year overseas.

[Tourer]

Will be there this year and next according to the article so not "gone" yet.

Like any good govt should do, they are looking at it and they'll need to assess it's benefits - given how long the event has run, I have no doubt that they'd have good economic impact data from the various years and various versions of the event.

[formerf1champ]

Would it be worth it, for qld, later down the track, to try and get the LMP1 cars here?

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

They'll have to start looking at the likes of Calder and Mallala again to keep the calander interesting. Surely, the teams wont want to spend half the year overseas.

You just know this is likely to be attempted.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Build a proper circuit or upgrade QLR where you can host all kinds of motorsports events, including some that might actually bring tourists, instead of a 2 week traffic headache for the people of the city all for a 3 day event and money being flushed into the pockets of certain people all in the name of "Economic Impact" figures. If you have the Bathurst 1000, Adelaide, Aussie GP or events like the Daytona 500 or Le Mans 24 I can see funding it because they probably bring tourists, but who comes to Queensland from overseas to watch the Gold Coast 600????

[Razor]

I can tell that if they do get rid of the Gold Coast 600, they'll move it to the Austin Circuit.

[R4z3rw33n]

I don't see the event being axed as too negative a prospect. Without turning this into a political/fiscal argument, it seems more appropriate that financial ties be severed sooner, rather than later.
If the event can't survive as one predominantly independent in nature, there's a pretty decent argument against it's existence - at least, in current form.

Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz

If you have the Bathurst 1000, Adelaide, Aussie GP or events like the Daytona 500 or Le Mans 24 I can see funding it because they probably bring tourists, but who comes to Queensland from overseas to watch the Gold Coast 600????

This is pretty much it. Considering the public funding required, there's minimal economic gain for the region. It's simply not worth the investment.

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

Would it be worth it, for qld, later down the track, to try and get the LMP1 cars here?

This is likely a much more expensive exercise. Considering Australia's been overlooked (as a region of market worth) for both WEC, and (provisional) AsLMS calendars, any such event seems unlikely without state funding - evidently, there's a lack of which available.

As much as I'd like to see either WEC or, AsLMS visit the region, it's fiscally irresponsible for the state to provide funding for such an event in present circumstances.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Razor

I can tell that if they do get rid of the Gold Coast 600, they'll move it to the Austin Circuit.

The format won't work if it they run the Austin race in May as was last reported as the likely date

[peckstar]

Gold Coasters Get Behind V8 Supercars

A poll in today’s Gold Coast Bulletin showed that seven out of 10 Gold Coasters want the event to continue to receive Government funding.

[cptkablamo]

To be quite honest, it would be irresponsible for the government to continue with this race - especially considering its very limited international exposure and that they have another V8 race some 90 minutes up the road, AND fund one in Townsville.
They key is, will they also pull funding out of other sports like NRL, AFL, Commonwealth Games like they seem keen to pull funding out of the arts and cuts to government department workers?

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by cptkablamo

To be quite honest, it would be irresponsible for the government to continue with this race - especially considering its very limited international exposure and that they have another V8 race some 90 minutes up the road, AND fund one in Townsville.
They key is, will they also pull funding out of other sports like NRL, AFL, Commonwealth Games like they seem keen to pull funding out of the arts and cuts to government department workers?

how have you come to that conclusion?

surely if it has a benefit in bringing income into the state then it is still worth having.

i would exoect any government to the do the maths on this and not just make a blanket decision.

[cptkablamo]

I don't agree with the scrapping of the event - but you can't put millions of dollars into an event like this if you are pulling money out of everything else.

It just doesn't look good to the average voter.

And is it still bringing money to the state - out of the 55 million TC suggested, how much of that is new money to Queensland?

Don't forget that this is a government that is happy to scrap projects and events that cost as little as $160,000 a year.

[Mixer]

Well its like the Melbourne Grand Prix.

I'm sure the hippies think its no good but ask anybody with a cab, hotel or restaurant whether its a good thing and I'm sure you'll hear a different story.

Funny just as I write this there's an ad for a Gold Coast hotel at the bottom of the page... If the hotels, bars and restaurants are full does it need to be an international event?

At the end of the day Governments SHOULD invest in events, but its too easy to shoot down any event you want if the event itself doesn't break a profit.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Mixer

At the end of the day Governments SHOULD invest in events, but its too easy to shoot down any event you want if the event itself doesn't break a profit.

At what cost though?

There is always the question of which events to invest in as well. This event is not what it used to be across all criteria and with things like commonwealth games etc coming up its easy to see why its on the chopping block.

Archer might have bought in at a good / bad time depending on the eyes of the beholder.

[alfacors]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Funny just as I write this there's an ad for a Gold Coast hotel at the bottom of the page... If the hotels, bars and restaurants are full does it need to be an international event?

Are they full? From what I've heard for the last couple of years, there's been no problems for people getting accommodation at all?

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by alfacors

Are they full? From what I've heard for the last couple of years, there's been no problems for people getting accommodation at all?

Alright so hotels are 85% full. Still its a ****load of money changing hands which is good, right?

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

At what cost though? There is always the question of which events to invest in as well. This event is not what it used to be across all criteria and with things like commonwealth games etc coming up its easy to see why its on the chopping block.

Well here you have to strike a balance. Is the Melbourne Grand Prix bringing in more than $30m or so in overall economic benefits? I suspect it is but I cannot see those numbers, and you know that anybody can bend and twist those numbers to tell their own story.

I'm not a fan of Golf for example but I could see why the Government might think paying Tiger Woods $3m just to appear would be worth it. As I said above, if people overseas watch it on TV, and if it gets people spending money its a good thing.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Mixer

As I said above, if people overseas watch it on TV, and if it gets people spending money its a good thing.

Who is spending the money though? If its Queenslanders spending money on the event than it is pointless to the Qld Government to keep the event.

[Bugger All]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Alright so hotels are 85% full. Still its a ****load of money changing hands which is good, right?

And considering the average cost of a room and many other things over that weekend is significantly more than most other weekends (except Xmas NYE and some of the important holidays) it is probably 2X S**Tloads coming in

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Who is spending the money though? If its Queenslanders spending money on the event than it is pointless to the Qld Government to keep the event.

Why? Do local businesses not make a profit when Queenslanders spend? Surely there's a tourism aspect to this but anything that allows your business to profit, has to be good for the economy!

Originally Posted by Bugger All

And considering the average cost of a room and many other things over that weekend is significantly more than most other weekends (except Xmas NYE and some of the important holidays) it is probably 2X S**Tloads coming in

Exactly! Try telling a guy owning a restaurant in the city or Lygon St that the F1 makes a loss...

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Why? Do local businesses not make a profit when Queenslanders spend? Surely there's a tourism aspect to this but anything that allows your business to profit, has to be good for the economy!

Governments invest in events to generate new money into the state and economy. Queenslanders spending money in Queensland (which they will do regardless of this event) does nothing to generate new money - it just redirects current money.

State governments invest to make a profit for the state - not the Gold Coast restaurant at the expense of the Brisbane restaurant.

[Mixer]

Meh I think you're wrong. Governments run museums and art galleries and fund festivals that locals attend. Anything that makes money move around stimulates the local economy.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Meh I think you're wrong.

Please tell that to all the governments and economists world wide that use such a model.

Originally Posted by Mixer

Anything that makes money move around stimulates the local economy.

Such a sentence is contradictry.

[peckstar]

Which economists and governments are they DRT. you have a very narrow model.

when the australian economy was dodgy, the government gave us money and told us to spend it within australia, was nothing to do with getting outside money.

even getting people to spend within the state is a good thing, but yes its also good to get money from other states and even overseas