Brian Rudman: V8 race promises to be best cock-up since blackout

COMMENT

Bring on the chaos. Why should I care if Auckland comes to a grinding halt for five days? Gridlock and road rage and the total dislocation of the city will be like manna from heaven for journalists. The proposed V8 car race around downtown Victoria Park promises to be the best self-inflicted cock-up since the 1998 power blackout.

I also quite fancy some of the softening-up techniques being dangled in front of worried locals. Event organiser IMG has told one sympathetic petro-journalist that affected residents will be offered a compensatory limousine service and, if needed, "personal shoppers". I think I could easily succumb to such solicitude. And as an affected passerby each day, I'd expect to qualify. Though after what I've written, I'd want to bring my own driver.

Racing driver Greg Murphy says the race could make Auckland the Monaco of Australasia. If he means it will plunge Auckland's industrial production down to Monaco's near-zero level, he may be right.

Apart from cars racing around streets, I can't see the similarities. Monaco has a population of 32,130, and most of them seem to live on luxury yachts. Their 70-year-old Grand Prix doesn't disrupt the local industry, it is the local industry. That and the casino and wealthy tourists.

Still, it's not going to happen, so why fret? The death knell was the letter from Transit's board to Auckland City saying its support would be conditional on, among other things, the support of all other Auckland territorial councils. Now when has that ever happened?