Federal Labor has stopped short of offering bi-partisan support for the VeloCity Park second circuit proposal on Mount Panorama if they win the federal election.
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Opposition spokesperson for digital innovation and startups, Ed Husic, said while a second track gets his personal support, yesterday’s visit to Mount Panorama in icy conditions was really about having a look around.
Mr Husic said he would now have to go back and discuss it with his colleagues before any kind of election commitment is made.
“I would love to announce firm support, but I am not in a position to do that today,” he said.
Mount Panorama didn’t exactly put its best foot forward either as Mr Husic stood on top of the mountain with candidate for Calare Jess Jennings and Deputy Mayor Ian North in freezing winds.
However, Mr Husic was impressed with the work being done to ensure Mount Panorama is a world-class facility.
“Sometimes when people think about innovation they operate from a blank canvas,” he said. “We need to take stock of what we do well and build on that.
“Mount Panorama provides a huge economic lift for Bathurst at a particular point in the year.
“We need to think about how we can get more value throughout the rest of the year.
“VeloCity Park is an exciting proposal and I am keen to see where we go from here.
“I want to go back and talk to my colleagues and share the excitement around this proposal,” he said.
Mr Husic said he has always been a passionate supporter of regional innovation.
He said the concept of VeloCity Park shows Bathurst’s serious commitment to get as much economic value as possible out of Mount Panorama.
“This way jobs and economic wealth get created throughout the year, instead of at one point,” Mr Husic said.
Cr North said an earlier meeting between himself, Dr Jennings, Mr Husic and Bathurst Regional Council’s Director of Finance, Bob Roach, was very positive.
“The bottom line is I don’t think councils can be political,” Cr North said. “Ed knows about Bathurst already. My job is to do the best job possible for Bathurst.
“It is very important that our door is open for all politicians to come and talk to us.
“This proposal would create jobs and value added services. Every tier of government needs to work together on this - local, state and federal,” Cr North said.
