Alpine Opinion

Update on Bright Hot Rod ‘crisis’

Posted in Alpine Shire Council, Bright Australia by Ray Dixon on 25 March, 2009

Bright is in danger of losing this long-standing and huge event to a rival tourist town. There's a public forum (called by the organisers) this Saturday at the Alpine Visitor Centre in Bright @ 2pm to "discuss the future" of the Bright Rod Run.

Bright might lose this long-standing, huge event to a rival tourist town. There's a public forum (called by the organisers) this Saturday at the Alpine Visitor Centre in Bright @ 2pm to "discuss the future" of the Rod Run.

Club blames Bright businesses for lack of support

I have mixed thoughts about the article on the front page of today’s Bright Observer, “Rods on the Run?”  First of all I’m grateful to Clare from the paper for responding to my request that she looks into the story behind the  Club’s call for a forum to be held in Bright this Saturday to “discuss the future of the event”. We certainly need a large number of people to turn up and hear what Mr McDonald, the Rod Club President, has to say. But if it’s along the lines of what he is reported to have said in the paper then I’m not so sure I want to hear it.

Mr McDonald seems to be saying they’ll take the event away from Bright unless business owners and traders make bigger donations to his club (to help them cover the costs of staging the event presumably) but he also alludes to the club’s financial woes caused by the costs of running smaller Show ‘n Shines elsewhere. At least that’s what I think he’s saying. Is he suggesting Bright businesses should subsidise the Club’s other activities?

I agree that the Rod event needs financial support & sponsorship but it’s equally up to them to seek that out. Surely, with over 1,000 entries, they should be able to attract some major companies to sponsor this long established and renowned event. It’s almost an institution and it shouldn’t be too hard to find some Corporate sponsorship. Think about the ‘naming rights’ alone.

And I wasn’t impressed with the way Alpine council’s CEO Ian Nicholls seemed to be joining in the chorus and pointing the finger at the business owners. We certainly do support the event and most of us make contributions, but what is the council doing? Businesses are going to be pretty stretched this year due to the downturn and asking them for more money is like squeezing the lemon dry.

Maybe Ian should make a special request to Mr Brumby and/or Tourism Victoria for some of that bushfire recovery marketing money to help Bright keep this event here? 

Anyway, Saturday’s meeting should be interesting. I get the feeling there’s more to this.

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  1. Percy said, on 25 March, 2009 at 3:59 pm

    Well Ray, there’s lots of rumours going around that they are looking for a Grand Prix type licence fee to run the event in Bright.

    Also that they are not that welcome back at Pioneer park due to “someone” cutting sections out of the oval railing for extra access and also “someone” putting down crushed rock on the playing surface so cars would not bottom

    Police and emergency services are rumoured to be not happy with the way access for emergency vehicles was blocked by hot rods parking wherever they stopped.

    To be fair though we need to work out whether the “culprits” are club members or wannabees who have no affiliation or discipline. Will be an interesting meeting.

  2. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 25 March, 2009 at 6:40 pm

    It just gets worse, Percy. Firstly, the problems you refer to are probably our fault – a failure of our council & local authorities to ensure this event runs smoothly. Policing is a police issue but the police need to understand Bright is a tourist town and that they need to go out of their way to anticipate problems like that and act accordingly, rather than complain after the event. And the council is responsible for letting the rodders use Pioneer Park so they too need to ensure it’s a suitable venue.

    But a “licence fee” to hold the event? They’ve got to be joking. They might not be as welcome elsewhere as what they seem to think they might be.

  3. Dominic said, on 26 March, 2009 at 2:29 pm

    I wonder what sort of ‘licence fee’ the Rod Club might want? $50,000? $100,000? More? If what Percy suggests is right then we might well lose this event. And if any other town is prepared to be held to ransom like that then I don’t think they’ll get a great reception from the locals who are sure to complain as much as some of ours do.

  4. Ray Dixon (Bright) said, on 26 March, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    I was over at Yarrawonga yesterday and if it’s true that they’re looking at going there, I can almost understand it. The place has a lot to offer them.

    BUT, I ‘m also of the opinion that the Yarrawonga residents (and there are plenty of them now that Yarrawonga is booming) won’t put up with them for too long.

    If the Rod Club leaves Bright they just might regret it.


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