The proposal to establish a stand alone drap strip on a block of government-owned land, immediately adjacent to the southern side of Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway, as revealed in DRAGSTER No. 498, is proceeding.

A 41-page written proposal, with supporting documents, was put before the New South Wales Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Mr. Craig Knowles, at a meeting on Thursday, August 20. Mr. Knowles' department controls the use of the currently vacant land. After considerable discussion and questioning he agreed that the proposal needed serious consideration and would be looked at.

A second meeting has since been held with the NSW Minister for the Environment, Pam Allen, at the premises of Sainty Engineering, on Friday, September 11.

A meeting with a third government minister is being scheduled at the moment.

Additional copies of the proposal have been personally delivered to eight government ministers in Sydney's west, as well as being passed on to other senior government officials.

In spite of incorrect and misleading quotes attributed to ANDRA officials appearing in some suburban newspapers, as a part of what appears to be a disinformation program, a copy of the proposal has only just been delivered to ANDRA's head office, just the second such proposal for Sydney.

The proposal has started to develop considerable support within the Sydney racing and business community, with letters of support starting to flow in from industry sectors, all of which are concerned over the dramatic decline in business in Sydney's west since drag racing stopped in 1997. The losses in jobs and businesses appears to have been heavy.

While assistance has been forthcoming from many areas, to date the two principal proponents of the plan are DRAGSTER publisher David Cook and Top Fuel racer Jim Read.

"We are very happy with the progress we have been making," said Read last week. "The response has all been positive. If we can bring this about it will be of enormous benefit to the New South Wales and Australian drag racing scenes, as well as to the NSW and western Sydney economies. I can't think of anyone who would be a loser."