Rallying in opposition to Targa

LOWER Chittering residents are continuing to raise awareness of the risk to wildlife in their battle to keep the Targa West Rally out of their area.

Wildlife carer Kym Morgan said she moved to the area because of the large numbers of kangaroos and wildlife that move freely around the estate, and said the rally threatened their safety and could potentially endanger their lives.

Ms Morgan said the animals were affected by speed of the cars as they move through the rally stages, as vibrations could be felt in the ground, and together with the engine noise, may cause animals to panic.

“Last year was the first year it came through the estate. This was a nice, quiet and peaceful place and it’s kind of forced upon you,” she said.

Resident Paul Falconer-West said the rally pleased a small minority and was run by those who are trying to “impress their wishes and events on a community in which they do not live”.

“Further to that is the reluctance to accept a council decision that the Chittering Valley does not want them here.”

He disputed claims by Targa organisers that no animals had been affected, saying he found an injured doe three days after the Lower Chittering leg and believed it to be caused by a rally car.

Targa West event director Bob Schrader has previously rejected this allegation, maintaining that no event vehicles had been involved in an incident where wildlife was injured.

What everyone else is thinking

Jono

09/12/2010

Bloody hell, let the TARGA Rally continue, there is that much space for the animals to run they aint gonna run towards the road and sit on it.
complaining bunch in that picture Harden up and stop your complaining.
also Hooning is a over used word you brain washed bunch who use it

Mr B

11/02/2010

More thoughts from Maryville.
Hoons: Personal experience shows that the race does encourage hooning in and around our estate of Maryville Downs. This is particularly true in the lead up to and following the event. I also suspect many event participants practice the route prior to race.
Benefit to Shire : The perception that the race raises the profile of the shire and its beauty is, as far as I can tell, a myth. Very few people are even aware of the race. When asking one Bullsbrook resident for their opinion of the race they did not even know that such an event took place. If this is the case for someone living in Bullsbrook then it seems very unlikely anyone outside of the racing community in Perth would have heard of the event let alone that it takes place in Chittering.
Inconvenience: Although this is a once a year event over a single weekend the enforced lock-in during Saturday and Sunday morning IS very inconvenient.
Benefit to Businesses: Some may benefit, some also suffer.

Thoughts from Maryville:
Community Opinion: If you accuse those in opposition to the rally of being narrow minded or a minority group then the same can also be said of those in favour of the rally. Imposing a motor racing event on others is not a right or an expression of freedom. That is why we have purpose built race tracks. I suspect the truth is that the majority of shire residents do not have a strong enough opinion either way, particularly those in the shire not directly affected by the rally.

Entertainment Value: The race itself provides little to no entertainment value to the majority of residents affected by the race. As a follower of Formula 1, who has attended two Grand Prix, I do not have a blind opposition to the race but having made the effort on one occasion 3 years ago to watch the race I can categorically say it was one of the most boring events I have ever seen. I have also yet to see any other residents gathered along the route to watch the race.

Rick

10/02/2010

Martin, you live in Mundaring so you know it was kicked out of that shire too, for the same reasons we are putting up so stop confusing the issue about which side you're on. To everyone else who made the brilliant observation that the marks were not made by a rally car, who said they were. As the 'Broader Community Mind' has said, they haven't been there long indicating that hooliganism is on the rise, thats all. Targa - over and out!

kym

Ah Targa bringing the community together, I'm not feeling the love in fact all I've seen is a huge divide. I'm not arrogant,selfish,narrow minded, disgruntled or any of the other things said just because my view differs from yours.
I can comment on Targa in our 2 estates, I wasn't aware of any neighbours getting together, I did however see oil poured all over our roads, empty alcohol bottles/cans littering our lovely bush. There was excessive noise plus being subjected to a lock down. Hooning which was actually reported to Gingin police. The positives, well I didn't see any.
Wildlife colliding with cars is not the only issue of concern, theres myopathy, injury from hitting objects when running blindly from the fright of the car engines & back firing, joeys being separated from their does just to name a few.
By the way the majority of house holds in these 2 estates didn't want Targa. I know this because I was personally involved in a door knock to gauge peoples opinions

Laanecoorie

Those black tyre marks are exactly what our roads look like after the rally has raced through.

I'm sorry Bob Ajob but another resident (pro rally) in same estate watched horrified as about 30 roos, spooked by the roaring rally cars hooning through our estate in excess of 150km, run in front of a speeding rally car. Luckly for all, driver, roos and the car were not harmed/damaged. I guess we can all have a narrow point of view. But I know a lot of truths as I have the orphan of a doe killed @ last Targa West. Oh, and the black rubber on the road - may not have been a rally car but the wanna be' boozing prior too, and after the 2009 rally. But I suppose no pro rally person will acknowledge the truths. Oh well, all the other negative issues around hosting the rally can't be dismissed.

Stanley

Okay Greg, so you live in the centre of Perth then you would know haveing it in and around the city would stop many more people going about their normal daily business and other social activities with closed roads and people trapped behind the many barriers that would need to be in place to protect the public. Where ever these rallies are held people are stoped from going about their normal daily activities whatever they are or where ever they might need to go. Yes Greg, I too have lived in many country places not just around Perth city like Mora, Yandenoka, Albany, Beverly, Busselton, MtBarker, Esperence, Kalgoorlie, Hilton, Merreden, Nedlands, Alfred Cove, Palmyra, Willagee, etc etc etc so who are you to say who should not have a say in the rally area as we need to pass through that area on many ocasions even if we do not actually permenatly live there.

Graham Belgrove

Good on you Stanly, Bob, Martin and Peter. You put our case perfectly.

Regards
to you all.

Martin

Well Greg I used to live in Mundaring for 14 years

A Broader Community in Mind

They say when people are at a loss, they revert to name calling. They also say Sticks and Stones . . ., well thats our motto.

Just in case you're reading your dictionary upside down, let me explain narrow. Narrow is what your argument represents, 'a good weekend for a party', mmm. However, our argument covers: business, safety to personnel and property, damage to the environment and infrastructure, danger to wildlife and pets, imposed restrictions, lack of compenstion, increased hooliganism . . ! Simple really.

For your information, those marks have been put there since the last Targa which just happened to be the first in this area. Speaks for itself doesn't it?

Greg Ralph

I live in the centre of Perth - as I suspect the other correspondents may also. None of us are affected by the noise, disruption, potential dangers which these rallies cause. The local inhabitants are absolutely entitled to object. The views expressed by myself, Martin, Stanley and the anonymous 'community minded' should carry no weight when compared to the locals. The question needs to be asked - why are rallies not held in the centre of Perth? When you have the answer apply that to Chittering and other rural localities. They deserve the same standards as us.

Eileen

My sympathies are with the Chittering residents.

I do not live in that area or know anyone who lives there but recognise that those country people are entitled to peace and quiet without the added unnecessary noise and pollution of vehicles introduced into their environment. I cannot imagine any of those residents bringing their animals into the city and asking for special consideration - no, they wouldn't, they are country people who just want to live their lives quietly in the country.

I hope they are successful in keeping their country lifestyle just as they had planned. The shire must look out and be on the side of their residents

Peter

Lol I love the bias in the photograph.
No way a vehicle involved in the event made those burn out marks on the road.
More likely some local hoon making his signature to impress his mates or girlfriend.
Wake up people this land is supposed to be enjoyed by ALL of us not just a minority.

Bob Ajob

Do these people actually have any proof that rally cars cause any more or less danger to wildlife than traffic that uses the roads every day? No i thought not. They way they carry on its as if the roadside is teeming with animals just waiting to get hit by a car! I live not far from here and i can tell you you'd be lucky to even SEE anything near roads during the day let alone have to avoid it!

I love how the photo is taken at a place with skid marks which was obviously not done by a Rally Car but no doubt a young local driver......

Just how "Narrow Minded" are you socalled "Community Minded", did the horse or other animals make all those skid marks on the community roadways !