No Rally Group on the attack

OPPONENTS of Repco Rally Australia have renewed their attack on Tweed Shire Council general manager Mike Rayner's position on the rally board in the wake of claims of damage caused to Kingscliff sports fields.

The attack follows an acknowledgement by council staff earlier this week that Kingscliff sports clubs “were impacted” by damage to the Walter Peate sports reserve by cars taking part in last year's world championship car rally and that dry weather hampered repair work.

Earlier rally chairman Alan Evans had rejected the complaints from two sports clubs and backed his argument saying the council had given a clean bill of health to sports fields the rally used in Murwillumbah.

The No Rally Group yesterday said it was concerned Mr Rayner was giving time to representing the interests of the rally rather than the interests of Tweed residents and raised new questions over why food stallholders at rally events had not been prosecuted for food safety breaches. No Rally Group spokesman Michael McNamara said Mr Rayner was still on the board of Rally Australia and that position would “always raise issues about the independence of the council”. “The council officers' report on the rally contains a litany of breaches,” Mr McNamara said.

“The council, when asked why no action had been taken in response to these documented breaches said that the report was not prepared for that purpose.”

A council spokeswoman said Mr Rayner's appointment to the rally board was council's decision.