Cranbourne
By Bridget Cook
THE green light is back on for the Easternats but it will no longer be staged at its Sandown home.
Easternats organiser and founder Jon Davison announced last week that a long-term agreement had been negotiated with Bob Jane to stage the event at Calder Park, starting Easter weekend 2010.
Cranbourne resident and Easternats supporter Clint Lee said he was shattered the event would no longer be held at Sandown.
“Sandown is the only place out this side of the city that holds events like the Easternats,” Mr Lee said.
He said he would now have to travel about triple the distance to take part in legal drag racing and similar meets.
“It (Easternats) is an event where people can go and put their car out there and just have a bit of fun,” he said.
While Mr Davison said he was absolutely thrilled that the event would live on, he said the move would be a huge loss for the local community.
“To lose such a big event for the area for such a silly reason is a disgrace,” Mr Davison said.
“I have tried everything to try and convince the Melbourne Racing Club and the Greater Dandenong Council to reinstate the event at Sandown, but both proved fruitless.
“They don’t deserve to have any major events like this, they don’t make it worthwhile running them.”
Mr Davison has staged the auto spectacular, which attracted more than 25,000 people to Sandown each year over the Easter weekend, for the past 13 years.
The MRC “ended its relationship” with event organisers in June this year due to breaches of the council planning permit.
The decision sparked a groundswell of controversy with more than 1500 people turning out to sign a petition and more than 9000 people joining a Facebook site in a bid to save the event.
A detailed survey of Calder Park will be conducted in early November to determine the event schedule and other important organisational issues.
Mr Davison said Calder Park would be able to accommodate an increased number of entries, on-site camping, and a dedicated drag strip that could be used under lights at night.
He said it had a far more flexible council permit compared to that which existed at Sandown.
