THE Bathurst Kart Club has had its licence agreement for land in McPhillamy Park renewed for another five years.
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The decision was made at the same meeting that a contentious mayoral minute was presented, proposing to source a loan for the construction the go-kart track.
Council had resolved to enter into a new Sporting and Recreational Licence Agreement with the club for the proposed go-kart track and associated pit and parking area in November, 2015.
At that time the club provided written acceptance of the agreement, however both parties agreed to not execute the agreement until such time that the go-kart facility became operational.
The original agreement was for a period of five years, and with that time passing, the club approached council to renew it.
The renewed agreement will be for a period of five years from the commencement date, which has not been determined.
A licence fee of $550 per annum will be paid to council by the club.
A condition of the agreement is that the facility must be operational in accordance with the approved modified consent and the conditions contained therein.
While council did resolve to renew the agreement, it was not unanimous.
Councillors John Fry, Jess Jennings and Monica Morse voted against it.
Cr Morse argued that the map attached to the report on renewing the lease agreement was different to when the original lease agreement was made.
"It bothers me that we're going to renew a lease for something which was not what it was originally intended for," she said.
Council's director of Corporate Services and Finance, Aaron Jones, responded to her comments.
"Cr Morse is correct in the sense that the map you see before you wasn't attached to the report that was considered by council in 2015, however the report - and if you want to go back and look at the records - there was no map attached to that particular report," he said.
"The footprint of the go-kart facility has not changed. The report that is being presented tonight is consistent with the lot and DPs and the land area that was considered by council at that particular time.
"Cr Morse is correct in that the track proper itself has changed, however the area that was modified and approved in a DA in 2018 ... the footprint is consistent from a leasing perspective."
The general manager, in response to Cr Jennings suggestion that the go-kart club should provide a business case, reiterated that the lease agreement for the club was "consistent and no different to the way we have handled the rugby league clubs, the hockey clubs, the gun clubs".
