Following is the most recent article published in
The Australian today.
Dick Smith's $1m air race prize: government 'lacks imagination'
Businessman and aviator Dick Smith has lamented the government’s “lack of imagination” for failing to commit financial incentives or support for an electric-powered air race from England to Australia to spur on innovation in aviation.
Mr Smith is willing to stump up $1 million of his own money to support the initiative which would be timed to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the first England to Australia Air Race.
Mr Smith had wanted the government to match his offer of a $1m prize but so far he has not received any commitment that it would do so.
He says he will now direct that money to a charity.
“It’s just all talk with this government,’’ Mr Smith said.
“It seems you need three years of talking before anything can get done. Where’s the action?”
“I wish we had Billy Hughes back who came up with the idea for the 1919 England to Australia flight and put up £10,000 prizemoney. That was a prime minister who understood innovation.”
The 1919 event drew six competitors but only one — headed by captain Ross Smith and his brother Keith as navigator — finished within the allotted 30-day time limit.
The only other plane to complete the journey took 206 days, but the event was deemed a success because the 27-day, 20-hour effort by the Smiths was extraordinary at the time.
“I have this idea to repeat the race 100 years later — but this time put a different angle on it, that it’s the fastest plane that can get from England to Australia that is electrically powered,” Mr Smith wrote to then industry, innovation and science minister Christopher Pyne and major projects minister Paul Fletcher in March.
“At the present time this just can’t be done, as the greatest range aeroplane is about 300 nautical miles and the pilot would need at least 400 to fly from Timor to Australia.”
Both Mr Pyne and Mr Fletcher expressed interest in the idea with the latter describing it as “an exciting concept”.
“I will raise with Christopher Pyne in the first instance — I’ll come back to you in a few days to let you know status,” Mr Fletcher said in March.
But since those letters to the government in March, Mr Smith says the line has gone cold.
Mr Smith wrote to the new Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Greg Hunt, late last month, but claims he has been passed on to Transport Minister Darren Chester.
“There appears to be a consistent lack of any leadership or decision-making by all ministers,’’ Mr Smith said.
“How can a minister that has the word ‘innovation’ in his job description just forward it on to a colleague who will clearly do nothing.’’
A spokeswoman for Mr Chester said the minister had met Mr Smith in the past and appreciated his passion for Australian aviation.
“The minister’s office has received correspondence from Mr Smith in relation to the proposed air race and the minister would be happy to have further discussions regarding the support he requires, if any, from the government,” the spokeswoman said.