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Key points

• A large section of what was the members Nursery car park at Flemington for car boot picnics has been turned into the ‘Palooza’ area with a band and concert stage open for general admission. 
• The Rails members car park was rebranded last year as the Rails Promenade and members can no longer bring in cars, picnic tables, umbrellas or chairs. 
• For the first time this year corporates can purchase a section of the Rails Promenade. 

The tradition of guzzling champagne with friends from a car boot on the racetrack on Melbourne Cup is becoming a thing of the past, with the Victoria Racing Club removing picnic spots from what were previously members car park areas.

A large section of what was the members-only Nursery car park towards the back of the racecourse has been turned into the Palooza area with a band and concert stage open for general admission for anyone who will pay $85 a ticket.

Caroline Knipe, Jasmine Ryan-Watson and Chelsea Matters at a car boot picnic in the Nursery members car park at Flemington at last year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival. Credit: Chris Hopkins

Members lost the ability last year to bring in cars, picnic tables and seating for picnics in the Rails car park, which is on the racetrack in front of the Birdcage. This year, corporates and members of the public can buy access to what was previously members-only turf.

Members expressed their anger on social media, claiming the moves were “diminishing the value of being a member” and calling on the VRC to “stop treating members like a bank”.

Leonie Abbott has been a VRC member for 20 years. She said she understood the club was looking at new ways to bring in money with attendees at the races, which were down on previous years, but the changes had gone too far.

“It has surprised me that the public can purchase places that were previously members areas. We pay a membership fee for the rights for that and I wonder whether the members have been really considered in the way that they’re trying to meet their budget requirements,” she said. “It feels like a bit of a slap in the face”.

Abbott said more members were questioning whether their membership was worth it.

“It doesn’t feel like the ordinary member, the non-lawyer, or corporate or high roller, is well catered for as the costs are pretty difficult to pay for,” she said.

“It’s all focused on the spring carnival and those that are there and can pay the big bucks.”

Shane Plummer has hosted a car boot picnic on the Rails for years but said he was going to cancel his membership after this year.

“It’s no longer exclusive for the price,” he said. “You used to have to be a member to get all these things, and now you don’t have to.”

Ground staff set up tables in the Rails Promenade which was formerly an area for car boot picnics. Credit: AAP

However, VRC chief executive Steve Rosich said most members were supportive of the changes and VRC membership continued to grow in popularity, with the club hitting a record 33,000 members this year.

“I think it is an evolution with what we’re providing now,” Rosich said.

He said the VRC had built a new “semi-permanent” large arched structure called The Wave over a section of what was the Nursery car park with space for 9000 attendees, which will remain in place for six months a year.

The new Palooza arched structure has taken over a large section of the Nursery members car park.Credit: Arsineh Houspian

“We’ve separated the Nursery from the space that was underutilised furthest away from the members area of Flemington. We’ve fenced it off for this Palooza product,” Rosich said.

Rosich said there was still plenty of room in the Nursery car park and members had more access to spaces in the Birdcage and more space in the new members club stand.

“[The Rails car park] is a member product which is exclusive for a period,” he said. “What we do is we monitor it over time and if there’s excess capacity, given it’s not in the traditional member exclusive areas of the club stand or the grandstand, we start to accommodate corporates who are prepared to buy a package and that’s only available on certain days.”

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