Our say | Council candidates see votes in track fight

And that's not good news for those in the community who have already grown tired of the continuing debate over plans to build a $4.5 million go kart track in McPhillamy Park at the top of Mount Panorama.

Retired businessman Bob Singleton (pictured) is the latest candidate to throw his hat in the ring and he says it was the go kart track that got him interested in local politics.

Mr Singleton can see no good reason to commit $4.5 million to the project ("show me the business case, there isn't one ...") and, after some pushing by the Western Advocate on exactly where he stood, conceded his position is that the project should be dumped altogether.

Not moved, dumped - and he believes it's a position that will win plenty of support among voters.

The only other candidate so far to confirm their intention to run for council - retiree and part-time Western Advocate columnist Stuart Pearson - also nominated the go kart track as a main issue for the election, though he would like to see the track put on the backburner for now rather than dumped entirely.

Either way, that's two-for-two as far as candidates wanting to talk about the go kart track and it's shaping up as a hot-button issue for the election.

But that's all assuming the go kart track is still a live issue by next September. And those who want to see it built hope that's not the case.

Funding will be the key issue, but if council can get the money to make a significant start on the project - perhaps earthworks, perhaps laying some track - then surely no council candidate would go to an election calling for all that work, and all the money invested to that point, to be trashed.

Or maybe they will.

Then there's the question of just how many votes there might be in opposing a track in McPhillamy Park.

We know there's a very vocal group determined to have the track moved - and, of course, a core group determined to have it built there - but we can't know for sure where those many thousands of silent voters stand.

Both sides of the debate believe the silent majority is with them, but they can't both be right. We'll know for sure next September.