Drifting to danger

By Kath Gannaway
AN ILLEGAL and potentially deadly form of hooning has become the latest trend in the valley.
The hottest new extreme motor sport involves cars which are adapted to make them lighter and more able to slide around corners. The slide is called drifting.
Mt Donna Buang, the crown in Warburton’s tourism crown, has earned a reputation as one of the best ‘drifts’ in Victoria.
It’s a dubious reputation that is growing through chat rooms on the internet.
While police say the problem is far from an epidemic, Warburton Police told the Mail they will put extra patrols on the mountain to nip the problem in the bud after charging a 21-year-old Coburg man with dangerous driving and reckless conduct endangering serious injury two weeks ago.
Sergeant Paul Bell said the man was on his own in his car but was part of a group of people who had made arrangements on the internet to meet on the mountain.
Sgt Bell said police had followed the man up the mountain when he turned, drove at the police car and sped off. He was apprehended by police who had set up a road-block further down the mountain.
It’s possible the driver was taken by surprise after an internet contribution by “Driver” on MX5 Great Twisty Roads boasts of getting up to 80km/h “drifting the old Ford around there after weeks of practice” and adds “not that there are any cops”.
Other contributors in March and April include “Fast Driver” from Pakenham who drove up there “like a crazy man and lovin’ it”, and “Spiky Simon” … “Did this road today, thanks for the tip!”.
“Mika” is into metaphors … “She’s a wild ride, that’s why she’s the town bike”, an image “RareSSSBoy” is keen to thread … “Cruise to the s… and a bbq sounds like the goods”.
Warburton Advancement League president Jesse James said any promotion which brought hoons into the area was disturbing.
“Local people go up there and if this sort of thing is happening up there at night they’re not only going to injure themselves but other people,” he said.
Mr James said in the past police had been on call. He said a case could be argued for doing the same to get the message out that police were ahead of the game.
“If local police are not on duty it takes time for police from Lilydale or Mooroolbark to get here.
Another disturbing trend in the forum is talk of parties, trashing hotel rooms, stealing furniture and “making a general nuisance of ourselves”.
Upper Yarra Valley and Warburton Tourism president Baden Berry said while there had been increased vandalism in the town in the past couple of months, and his own guest house had had all its fire extinguishers stolen, there had been no reports of trashing or wild parties.
He said the hoon culture is not one the town aspires to.
“We recently had the Warburton Harmony Festival here and that is the complete antithesis.
“The sooner this sort of thing is cracked down on, the better,” he said.
Sergeant John Morgan of Yarra Ranges Transport Management Unit in Mt Evelyn and new Police Service Area Manager Inspector Andrew Humberstone moved to assure the Warburton community that any increase in illegal activity will be tackled head on.
“It’s not a huge issued, but if it develops that way we will want to nip it in the bud,” Sgt Morgan said.
He warned cars could be seized under the so-called hoon legislation.
Inspector Humberstone said there was not a demonstrated need for putting local police on call at the moment.
“If it was seen to be needed it would be looked at,” he said.