TOPIC: 4WD show at Eastern creek

I am very disappointed in the 4wd show this year, my wife and I went there on Saturday around about 11.30am. Drove in the gate, we were directed to the round about showed the guy my disability card and was directed to the car park on the left thinking that this was were the disability parking was. Weren't we mistaken parked almost to the end of the grassed area, and then had to walk all the way to the beginning of the path leading to the show. We couldn't see any buses so we decided to walk down the path, it was ridiculous walking along this path parents with prams people coming back from the show with big parcels you had no were to walk people were walking on the road and dodging cars and 4wd's it was bedlam. My wife and I walked to the bolsters at a stairway and couldn't go any further as our legs and hips were aching, So we stopped for a bit to rest and decided that if we were to walk down to the show and walk around the show area we wouldn't be able to walk back to our vehicle, so we decided to turn around and walk back to our vehicle. When I got to the roundabout I asked the guy that was directing traffic where are the buses his reply there aren't any you have to walk but you can drive down to the front of the show I said why didn't you say that before directing me to this car park he said it was full then, why wasn't it put a side for the disable and parents with prams I said his reply talk to the organisers. We were looking forward to the show this year as there has been a lot of talk of the new products and displays.
As far as my wife and I are concerned this was very bad organisation on the part of the organisers how do you expect people with disabities and parents with prams to walk this distance to the show. This better improve next year or we will not be going to the show

Brian and Debra Dollisson

Brian, everything you have said is correct, there was a massive problem with handicapped parking on the Saturday, it was better on the Sunday but still has a long way to go to be right.

We are really sorry for the inconvenience you where put to, also some sort of shuttle service will be back next year.

As for people going onto the road we may need to put a barrier all the way down.

Hi Brian

Myself and my Club members also went to the show, I saw there was a problem with the disability car park as well. Eastern Creek Dragway itself may be the problem as its car parks are not big enough to cater for an event this size. As for the organizers, i think they did a great job with utilizing the car parks they had available on the day. No matter what event is held at the Dragway there is always a long walk. Hopefully they can create a car park purely for disability only or a shuttle service as suggested in Craigs post. Hope this helps with your concerns.

Rob Hansen
President-Limited Slip Riff 4wd Club Inc

Firstly Brian and Deb, sorry I missed you guys at the show as Jim said you guys may have turned up. Nic and I worked on the disable area on Saturday and alarm bells should have rang as last year we had heaps of people using the disable parking and the two hours we were doing parking duties in the main area we only parked a few. Sorry mate as I know your comments are genuine and I should have alerted the organizer and things would have changed for Sunday. The show is only three years old and each year as our show grows new problems surface, I know that Craig, Roger and the two Tony's are looking at the improvements needed for the 2013 show. Brian & Deb you both have heaps of knowledge and show experience and I know the show organizers would take on board your suggestion to make our fantastic show if possible even better.

cheers

I think I can safely say that the disabled parking situation was MUCH improved on Sunday!
I was allocated the task of keeping the exhibitors OUT of the disabled parking on Sunday and I think I managed it ok only because I got there before them! I only had to growl at a couple of exhibitors who complained that they’d parked there the day before and couldn’t see why they couldn’t park there again on Sunday. I politely pointed out that unless I saw a VALID disabled parking ticket, I was going to harass them until they moved their vehicles – and that by them taking up the disabled spaces, it was their potential customers who would be inconvenienced. Both eventually acquiesced and moved their vehicles.
I know that there was a fairly steady trickle of cars entering from over the hill on Sunday morning – and the disabled carpark was used to its full extent, so it appears that lessons of Saturday were learnt and those with disabled parking permits were being directed to the correct area.
From what I observed (as the holder of a disabled parking permit) I would not have been able to make the walk from the ticket booth to ARB then wander around the exhibition and return to my car, so I know how the OP felt.
Unfortunately the layout of the exhibition area and its access to and from the public parking areas does not lend itself to better crowd-flows with disabled/parents-with-prams parking thrown into the mix. Unless it was all turned around and access was via the other side of the test track hill (which sounds like where the OP was parked). Maybe that’s something that could be investigated – it certainly does need to be looked at.

Hi Brian & Deb, well you are correct it was not the best result and the plans in place did not eventuate on Saturday but were pushed to be resolved on the Sunday. I can assure you that there has been much discussion on the issue of parking for the disabled as well as others, together with the alternatives to move people from the car park. There was a number of factors which created the situation and these have been noted and will be addressed in the planning next year.

It saddened me that both of you as past strong supporters of the Association were put to this discomfort, as well as not being able to catch up with your old colleagues.
I have a plan in mind for next year and please stay in contact & I will make certain you have a more pleasant experience.