Australian grand prix boss Ron Walker has scolded Melbourne’s Lord Mayor for questioning the future of the city’s annual event.<\/p>\n
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle wrote in the Herald Sun’s Sunday edition that the Albert Park race is no longer value for money for the Victorian state taxpayer.<\/p>\n
He speculated that one possible outcome was that “cranky” Bernie Ecclestone will replace the race by taking “the dollars of either an Asian or oil-rich Middle Eastern state”.<\/p>\n
“It’s a sad thing for the mayor of a major capital city to come out so publicly against a major event like the grand prix,” Australian Grand Prix Corporation chairman Walker told local radio 3AW.<\/p>\n
He insists that criticism about the $50m taxpayer bill is only one side of the story.<\/p>\n
“On the other side … there’s an economic benefit of around $160 million,” said Walker.<\/p>\n
“All of Mr Doyle’s hotels, all of his restaurants do a very good trade.\u00a0 Then of course there’s the tax that’s collected of about $18 million a year.\u00a0 It’s a huge profit for Melbourne,” he insisted.<\/p>\n
Also in the wake of Lord Mayor Doyle’s comments, new Victorian premier Ted Baillieu admitted that the $50m taxpayer bill will need to be reduced if a new deal beyond 2014 is sought.<\/p>\n
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