Stakeholders of the Summernats 37 event have been questioned as to how the security will hold up for the 2025 event.
The 2024 event was marred by antisocial behaviour, including on-site fights and hoon driving off-site.
Video also emerged of an apparent brawl between security guards and attendees at Summernats.
When questioned by journalists at the media launch at Waves Carwash in Braddon on 2 December about security, Summernats head of marketing and communications Adrian Hodgson said event security and safety were constantly reviewed.
He said following the 2024 event, the organisers sought advice from an external expert, which resulted in a switch of providers.
“They conducted a thorough security operations audit of the business that’s resulted in the making of some recommendations, that we’ve taken on,” Mr Hodgson said.
He said organisers also worked closely with ACT Policing and the ACT Government.
Mr Hodgson said police would permanently be in the control room throughout the event.
“So, when the decisions need to be made or responses need to happen, they’re right next to us in the control room and we work collaboratively with them to make decisions to deliver the event safely,” he said.
Business, arts and creative industries minister Michael Pettersson said the behaviour at this year’s event was unacceptable.
“Antisocial behaviour is not acceptable. The scenes that we saw earlier this year are not on,” he said.
Mr Pettersson said Summernats injected $43 million into Canberra’s economy.
“That is $43m going into small and local businesses, hotels, restaurants, it provides work for workers at an otherwise quiet time of the year,” he said.
A passerby made a negative comment about Summernats during the media conference.
Summernats 37 will run at Exhibition Park from 2-5 January.
It will include custom show cars, a burnout competition, a performance trade show, cruising, horsepower demonstrations, food and live music.
First prize for the Summernats Pro Burnout is $50,000, with second and third place bringing the prize pool to $70,000.
The bands performing are headliners Jet, alongside fellow Australian rock bands Eskimo Joe and Thirsty Merc. This will be followed by a mashup of music set by Hot Dub Time Machine.
Thirty never-before-seen custom cars will be unveiled at Exhibition Park on Thursday 2 January.
There will be 400 cars on display during the city cruise.
The Braddon Fringe Festival will run for three nights. Mulletfest will also be back.
City Renewal Authority executive group manager enabling operations Jen Ramsay said the Fringe festival would run from 5-11pm each night from 2-4 January from Londsdale to Montford Street.
“It really provides an opportunity for the community to come in and get up closer to the cars and have a good look under the bonnet in a really managed and safe and accessible way,” she said.
One of the people taking part in the cruise is Crace resident Tony Seddon who will have his 1971 XY Falcon (GDHA replica) on show. It took him four years to put together the replica of Allan Moffatt’s 1971 Bathurst-winning car.
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