MAJOR work on Bathurst's new $4.5 million go-kart track will start in less than three weeks - but the circuit's first races could still be a long way off.
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Bathurst Regional Council has secured a $2.25 million loan to get construction under way on the city's most contentious development in recent years.
Stakeholders have been told that work would start at McPhillamy Park on Monday, March 8, an announcement roundly criticised by opponents who want the track moved and fear the project is being fast-tracked ahead of scheduled council elections in September.
But mayor Bobby Bourke rejected those claims, saying council had methodically dealt with the go-kart track development application and was simply getting on with the job of delivering the project for the community.
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"This is not a football game where there is a winner and a loser; this is something the community wants and council went through all the correct processes and relevant studies to get to this point," he said.
"Council has notified all the relevant parties of each of the steps along the way and we looked at a number of other sites but none have been suitable.
"The opposition to the go-kart track is being pushed by a minority and I'm concerned they will try to disrupt the work, but the democratic process has been followed."
Initial work at the site will include further fencing of the site and vegetation removal, but Cr Bourke said he doubted a track would be laid before the end of the year.
"We're still a long way off from seeing go-karts racing up there," he said.
But Cr John Fry, one of three councillors still hoping to have the track moved, is not so sure.
Cr Fry noted a number of candidates lining up for September's election were running on an anti-track platform but he feared it could be a non-issue by then.
"I think it will be all over by September; I think the track will either be laid or moved by then," he said.
"A lot of candidates are saying they're against the track but I don't think it will still be relevant. Opposing it at the election will be meaningless."
Cr Fry said the track did not have to built on Mount Panorama.
"Cr [Jess] Jennings has put in a good case for relocating the track and we're quite convinced there are plenty of alternative sites, including on council-owned land," he said.
Cr Fry said building the track on the current site would require the removal of around 200 trees that were listed as endangered when the DA was first approved in 2015 but were now "critically endangered".
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