Stage 1 of the long-awaited Model Park was opened recently.

The President of the Model Makers and Collectors Association Inc., Brian Johnson, spoke about the history of the park, Bill Wedd spoke on behalf of the Lions and thanked the many people and organisations who had contributed to development of the park and the Mayor of Glenorchy, Adriana Taylor, then declared it open, inviting former Mayor, Terry Martin MLC, to join her in unveiling the plaque.

Stage 1 consists of the Clubrooms, a gravel track and a sealed track. The former Junee Street hall in Chigwell was cut in three and moved to the site, where it was reassembled and refurbished. Both tracks have ramps for the disabled to reach the platforms.

The opening was followed by demonstration and celebrity races, involving the Southern Tasmanian Model Car Club and various celebrities, including Terry Martin MLC, Mayor Adriana Taylor, radio announcer Ric Patterson, Michael Hodgman MHA and Lisa Singh MHA.

The MMACA would like to thank the following organisations and individuals whose efforts made this park a reality.

• Glenorchy Council who has given us support throughout stage one of the park construction including guiding us through the process of land selection and the provision of the Hall, donated by the Council, which we relocated from Chigwell.
• The Tasmanian Community Fund for providing a grant of $60,000.00 towards stage one and we are grateful for their support as we would not have been able to undertake this project without an injection of funds like that towards the total cost.
• Highrig Cranes and Hazel Bros. for lifting the hall at Chigwell which we had cut into three sections, transporting the sections to the park, craned the sections into position and helped reassembled the hall on its new foundation for next to nothing. One huge crane, three trucks and low loaders, operators, drivers, they even organized the Transport Tasmania escort. And the hall went back together to within five millimetres of its original position.
• Hansen Construction Materials, Andrew Walters Construction, Rockit Asphalt, Emoleum Asphalt supplies. Graders, Trucks and trailers, Rollers, Water carts, Pavement Machines, Men and machinery everywhere when these companies constructed one thousand square meters of asphalt track and base.
• The track layout marked and painted by the Southern Tasmanian Model Car Club plus a few non-member helpers.
• BSH Electrical – Lights, power, rewire, remote switch boards at each of the driver stands and isolating switches in the hall to control them, power to the future boom gate.
• TAFE College chipped in with a training program for unemployed adults, and was a great help with some of the internal framing, repairs, lining and external deck etc.
• Carpet World Carpet Choice, Specialised Plaster and Construction and Boral Plaster, Greenwood Pine, Robin Randal Plumbing and of course Cunic Constructions without whom none of the construction could have happened as Bill Wedd, Cunic Managing Director, was also the project manager.
• All of these businesses have put their hand up to help in one way or another and we are extremely grateful to them all.
• Then we have the Glenorchy Lions Club members and the Model Makers and Collectors Association members who provided all of the voluntary labour.