NEW LIQUOR LAWS NOT LIKELY TO AFFECT THE CROWDS THIS YEAR
THOUSANDS of racegoers will converge on country Queensland over the next two days – some heading west for the Birdsville Cup and others to the deep north for the Cairns Amateurs.
They come to party, punt and drink – but this year the latter pleasure will be policed like never before. No doubt copious amounts will still be consumed by the campers at Birdsville but the connoisseurs of Cairns will be restricted largely to the lighter variety.
Birdsville has never been a place for the ‘light-hearted’ when it comes to beer consumption at carnival time – just look at the major sponsors for the two-day meeting on Friday and Saturday. There’s the XXXX Cup, the VB Open, the Carlton Mid Strength Plate, the Birdsville Hotel Handicap and for the ‘tee-totallers’ the Coca Cola Class B.
But at the Cairns Amateurs full strength beer and spirits will be banned for the first time as last drinks are called on the days of heavy grog sales. This follows the city being named one of the worst in Queensland for alcohol-related offences (almost 10,000 incidents last year).
FNQ Amateurs officials successfully bargained with the Office of Liquor Licensing to serve wine and champagne. The carnival – now in its 51st year – will serve beer on tap for the first time this week.
Race-goers will only be permitted to buy four mid-strength beers or pre-mixed mid-strength spirits in cans, bottles or plastic cups per visit to the bar.
The club is not expecting the non-availability of full strength beer and spirits to affect the expected crowd of 20,000 plus over the next two days with seven additional bars operating this year.
Cairns Amateurs president, Michael Delaney, said his office had been fielding calls from the public about the heavy beer ban but remained confident the decision would not affect attendances.
“I think it might be one of those things people get used to and it will benefit sales in the future,” Mr Delaney said. “We hope people understand that these are the new rules and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
'LOT LESS OF EVERYTHING' SUGGESTED AT THIS YEAR'S CAIRNS AMATEURS
But the ban on heavy booze could just be one problem confronting the Amateurs according to respected racing writer, Terry Butts, who this week wrote in his column in the North Queensland Register:
‘It was once rated the biggest race meeting outside Brisbane – one of the biggest and best two-day race meetings in the country. When not only cars were parked for miles around the Cannon Park racecourse, but the Cairns airport was a sea of private jets that ferried the rich and famous from all parts of the nation to the Cairns Amateurs.
It’s on again this weekend, but with a lot less fanfare. In fact, with a lot less everything, including, no doubt the corporate jets. Prize money is virtually the same as it was 10 years ago and the club is just about giving tickets away to some of the regular Cairns Amateurs’ functions, including the once famous Friday night ball.
Unbelievable as it might be, the City Council had to, well, ‘come to the aid of the party’ to get things rolling this year. Some say there mightn’t be another.
Blame the downturn, the lack of racing interest, EI outbreak two years ago, or last season’s tropical downpour that saw the first day abandoned. But the bottom line is ‘things ain’t what they used to be’. The club is apparently broke.
And their efforts to get out of the red are somewhat restricted by this rule to keep the under 18s away, which includes, of course all the young mothers – and therefore whole families.
Ironically, the same time they kicked young people out of the recent Cairns Cup meeting, the Gold Coast held a much publicized ‘Bring the whole family day’ and attracted thousands. What’s the go? You might well ask.
The only one who can answer is the Minister for Racing himself, Peter Lawler, who just happens to be from the Gold Coast, is a former director of the Gold Coast Turf Club and would you believe, is also the Minister for Fair Trading as well as Liquor Licensing and Gaming.
Wonder if he will grace the turf at Cannon Park on Friday? Because he will be in for a lashing, especially for his recently reported support of the outrageous licensing laws that severely impacts on crowd and vital turnover – while, incredulously, his very own club supports and promotes family days at the races.’
It’s a pity because the Far North Queensland Amateurs have grown from a small country race meeting in 1959, designed to bring the city and country together, to a carnival that now attracts national media, betting and television coverage.
The economic downturn has certainly not had the same affect on the thousands who make an annual pilgrimage to the biggest bush meeting in country Australia. Birdsville, perched on the edge of the Simpson Desert, is home to 120 residents but once a year that number swells to more than 6,000 who come to witness the Holy Grail of Bush Racing.
The first of up to 6,000 visitors began arriving earlier this week and the Diamantina Shire Council says it is expecting crowd numbers to be up at the meeting on Friday and Saturday because flooding earlier this year has transformed the desert environment and tourists are still flocking to see it.
Council chief executive officer Scott Mason says the town was well prepared for the influx. “It’s all shaping up to be a bumper year. Last year we had about 50 planes fly in. Indications so far suggest that number will reach the 80 or 90 mark this year.”
Mr Mason says there has been an amazing transformation in the local landscape following flooding earlier this year and that has prompted more people to head west. “There's just an abundant amount of green areas, wildlife, birdlife ... and I think that's the other attraction to bring people out," he said.
The only caravan park in Birdsville expects thousands to camp on the 12 hectare site. Manager Lynn Parker is tipping a record year. “It’s been phenomenal,” she said. “The phone hasn’t stopped ringing. We normally get 2,500 campers on site. This year I reckon we could get 3,000 to 4,000.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of visitors stopped off at Quilpie last night on their way to the Birdsville races. Each year Quilpie cordons off its main street and hosts a party for the travelers heading west.
One of the organizers, Cathy Wendelborn, says the economic downturn did not seem to have affected the number of tourists heading through. “We try and cater for the big rush - we know it's coming. Quilpie is a base. If you are travelling from the east it’s at least 10 hours to get here- so it’s nice to have a rest, unwind and have a look at the town.”
Windorah, in Queensland’s Channel Country, has a population of only 75, but each year 700 visitors on their way to the Birdsville Cup stopover to watch the annual International Yabby Races.
Yabby trainer, Geoff Seawright, has been feeding the yabbies carrots and corn to make them go faster. “We draw a little racetrack in the middle of the street and the stands are all set up around so everybody can take a vantage point and watch the action. With between 600 and 700 people ... it's a bit of chaos for a while but we seem to get through.”
PHOTOS OF BIRDSVILLE COURTESY OF KAREN BROOK PHOTOGRAPHY