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From: WHO Office Date: Friday, September 17, 2004. Subject: HoverWorldExpo 2004 Update Dear Steven Odgaard, With great regret, we must inform you that the National Capital Authority in Canberra has recently declined the opportunity to stage HoverWorld Expo 2004. Despite the wholehearted best efforts of the entire HoverWorld Expo organizing team, we have received notification that the National Capital Authority has "withdrawn its support for the HoverWorld Expo 2004 event on Lake Burley Griffin." In addition, Australian Capital Tourism has informed us that the tourism benefits of HoverWorld Expo 2004 will not be significant enough for it to receive support through their Events Assistance Program. After four years of planning - and a massive investment of man-hours and funds - we certainly share in your disappointment. As Australian citizens, we are sincerely aggrieved at the loss of this opportunity for Canberra and all Australians to celebrate the 40th anniversary of a genuine historic first: the World's First Hovercraft Race, staged in Canberra in 1964. Sadly, many nations will share this disappointment. Groups from throughout the world have registered to attend HoverWorld Expo 2004, including Australian Hovercraft Federation members from throughout Australia, as well as teams from New Zealand, Malaysia, Sweden, Nigeria, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. Although Canberra officials were responsive to bringing HoverWorld Expo to their city, and provided much assistance in the planning process, the extensive regulatory process in Canberra ultimately proved to be insurmountable and cost-prohibitive for the not-for-profit Australian Hovercraft Federation and the World Hovercraft Organization. As disheartening as it may be to all of us that the event has been canceled, it is perhaps the best alternative, given that the enormous number of ever increasing regulations with which we were expected to comply would, at best, severely limit the scope of activities offered to participants and, at worst, subject HoverWorld Expo 2004 to being closed at any time during the event. We offer you the following brief overview of the course of events that led to the cancellation. Work commenced on HoverWorld Expo 2004 in 2000, and at that time Canberra officials indicated that it was the type of event that would be welcomed on Lake Burley Griffin. A year ago, on October 22, 2003, the National Capital Authority gave the event approval subject to other mandated Government agency approvals. By this late stage we were only beginning to grasp just how vast the approval process would be. From the outset, it was tremendously difficult to wend our way through the conflicting and overlapping mandates of the various departments of the Canberra government. As one example, the National Capital Authority requires a $10 million public liability insurance policy, but in August 2004 we discovered, only through the minutes of an ACT meeting, that ACT Urban Services requires a $20 million policy, and an additional $10,000 bond is required for the use of the lawn outside Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre, for DiscoverHover activities. We frequently learned of such additional mandates only through our own investigative efforts. Over time, our frustration grew as each time we climbed over one mountain of regulations we learned to expect a vista of obstacles ahead. For example, on June 30 we were informed that it was decided in a meeting with Environment ACT that HoverWorld Expo should not run any longer than three days. We faced many obstacles in the area of environmental regulations. To its credit, Canberra is quite diligent about protecting and preserving its environment. Unfortunately, this diligence also creates a weighty impediment to organizing an event in Canberra, and served to eliminate a number of the very activities that HoverWorld Expo 2004 participants would most enjoy, such as cruising on the Molonglo River. Seven months ago we learned that Environment ACT would require a comprehensive Environmental Risk Assessment and Management Plan, to state our provisions for dealing with a myriad of issues such as dust management, fuel spill cleanup, and noise impact on the closest affected residential area as ascertained by a government approved specialist. We also learned that noise must be monitored during the event, with the implication that the event could be shut down at any time should agreed-upon levels be exceeded. Further examples of the extensive environmental regulations includea fully approved central fuel storage and distribution station; prohibitively strict campsite rules pertaining to gas stoves, generators, power cables and waste disposal; and an on-site certified electrician to monitor all power cables. In addition, the Australian Federal Police and Water Police required that each participant obtain a permit prior to the event, and that each hovercraft must undergo an inspection at their station. With the exception of several volunteers, most of the many organizations and individuals whose services were needed have required payment for those services. In some cases, payment was required for us to even obtain copies of the regulations with which we were expected to comply. More than two months ago we appealed to the various governmental agencies in Canberra to grant us some minor concessions and assistance with the approval processes that would allow HoverWorld Expo to take place. Upon no response from the twenty-five individuals contacted, and after several repeated appeals, we finally received the National Capital Authority's kindly, but final, withdrawal of approval in a letter dated September 1, 2004. It is our deepest and most sincere regret if this decision has caused any hardship or loss to you. So that the cancellation of HoverWorld Expo 2004 does not leave you entirely without an opportunity to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the World's First Hovercraft Race, the Australian Hovercraft Federation is working to organize a cruise on the Murray River downstream from Albury Wodonga, starting around January 3, 2005. Details will be available to you soon on www.WorldHovercraft.org. Please be assured that the World Hovercraft Organization will stage events in the future, in locations that will allow for us to create events as enjoyable as World Hovercraft Week 2002 in Terre Haute, Indiana. In addition, you can anticipate a new venue of events surrounding DiscoverHover, our increasingly successful international school hovercraft program. Most Sincerely,
Chris Fitzgerald
From: "stevenodgaard" To: office@worldhovercraft.org Cc: osmondoutdoor@bigpond.com Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 Subject: Re: HoverWorldExpo 2004 Update Hello Mr Fitzgerald and Mr Osmond,
Thank you for this very well worded document. It must have been quite difficult to write. As secretary of the AHF, do we require me to send a copy on to the Secretary of the World Hovercraft Federation ie: Attention Mrs Martens in Holland. I understand that it is only the venue that is cancelled: "Canberra" and that an endurance event may be held in lieu at approximately the same time frame at a location 3 hours south of Canberra: Albury/Wodonga Hume Weir on the Murray River. ie NSW/Victoria border. Please advise if this will be an International event or an Australian event.
kind regards
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