The new owner of Targa Adelaide has postponed the next running of the tarmac rally until 2015 while it reviews its business plan and operations.
Targa Australia Pty Ltd took over the business on January 1 this year from the multi-national Octagon Pty Ltd, which conducted four events annually – Targa High Country in Victoria, Targa Wrest Point and Targa Tasmania in Tasmania, and for the past three years, Targa Adelaide.
The series was born out of the success of Targa Tasmania, which was held earlier this month for the 23rd time.
Targa Australia director, Mark Perry, said there were a number of factors that lead to the decision to postpone Targa Adelaide, which was scheduled for this September.
“We are a new business that needs to ensure the business model we go forward with can be sustained in fairness to all involved.
“There is no doubt that these are still difficult financial times, and our events represent a discretionary spend for our customers.
“The previous owners expanded the business quickly from one event to four. Because this happened through a period of economic downturn total numbers involved with the sport didn’t grow, which meant basically the same numbers were spread more thinly.
“We are, of course, excited about the future of our Targa events but we need to spend this year examining our operations and developing a sustainable plan going forward. We need to build from a strong foundation.
“Targa Adelaide is the newest event, it’s the least developed in our business and, therefore, represents the greatest challenge to us in the short term.
“It is also a time of change in Adelaide. The Adelaide Hills Council has a new events policy, which requires a longer and far more onerous approval process, and this will take some time for us to work through with them to achieve a long term plan that benefits all stakeholders.
“Given everything we’ve taken on as a new business, already with two successful events run in the first five months of 2014, it became clear this new six month approval timeline was unachievable for us to plan with certainty for this September.
“We have also run out of time to apply for Events South Australia funding for this year due to our busy schedule. The final year of the four year funding contract with Octagon was not transferred to us in the sale, and without this funding the event is currently unviable at a level worthy of the world famous Targa brand.”
“We have a good close working relationship with Events South Australia and we will continue to work with them to explore options to ensure a successful event for South Australia in 2015”.
“We know South Australians, like all Australians, love their motorsport and Targa Australia wants to be part of that going forward while ensuring that we always put on events that meet the highest international standards that our competitors, sponsors and stakeholders have come to expect from the Targa brand.”
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