I spoke too soon last week when I gave the new Central Coast Council a pat on the back for choosing to fix its existing road problems rather than spending money on a “put up, pull down” temporary racing circuit for a V8 Supercars race.
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I spoke too soon because Newcastle has been confirmed by V8 Supercars as the favourite to host a season-end race in 2017.
Street circuits have a history of poor performance with V8 Supercars. Canberra came and went with much fanfare and the former ALP government and current Coalition government have wasted, not invested, around $100 million of ratepayers’ money on the dud Homebush Bay 500.
The South Australian Government pumps $15 million annually into the Clipsal 500, the Queensland Government pumps in over $10 million for both the Townsville and Gold Coast street circuits and the Victorians, too, are lining up for state government funds for their Phillip Island and Winton Raceway events, none of which are viable without taxpayer subsidisation.
I have forwarded an article to our local member Paul Toole (which I have asked him to forward to the Premier, Treasurer and Destination NSW) that is highly critical of the proposed Newcastle street race
The message was clear: don’t waste money on street circuits that provide narrow concrete jungles with poor viewing areas, but please invest these same millions into permanent motorsport facilities throughout the regions as the return on investment will be significantly higher in the long run. I hope someone is listening!
Park protectors
PEOPLE power may have won the day in the debate on where the proposed new $50 million-plus community arts centre will be located as the mayor, Cr Gary “Good News” Rush, has started talking about a new location.
He switched discussion to the old TAFE building (as opposed to Centennial Park) on local radio just days after representatives of neighbours and supporters of Centennial Park advised council that their lobby group had formed a legal entity reinforcing their position against building on this precinct.
It is clear council will need to invest significantly more than the proposed $5000 in the 2016/17 budget for much-needed improvements in coming years.
Start with the highway
DURING the recent federal election campaign, then candidate and now Member for Calare Andrew Gee indicated that he supported upgrading the road from Orange to Mudgee via the Dixon’s Long Point Crossing of the Macquarie River, promising $100,000 of federal money to plan an upgrade.
May I respectfully suggest that the new member should concentrate on improving the existing national road network used by tens of thousands annually, as opposed to dozens of four-wheel drive enthusiasts.
As an appetiser for his success, the few kilometres on the Mitchell Highway A32 between the Millthorpe turnoff and Macquarie Woods desperately need realigning.
Thumbs up
MOTORSPORT enthusiasts on many racing blogs telling the government what they think of street circuits - they hate them!
Thumbs down
NSW Government planning to waste taxpayers’ money on yet another temporary motor racing circuit, this time in Newcastle.