THE go-kart track debate is far from over within Bathurst Regional Council, with two new notices of motion opposing the chosen location on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting.
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Councillors John Fry and Jess Jennings have lodged separate notices of motions but both urge council not to pursue the project in McPhillamy Park.
Cr Fry is asking councillors to vote in support of the following: That due to the national outrage and 10,000 objections to date, council ceases construction of the go-kart complex in McPhillamy Park and council's director of engineering investigates and reports on suitable alternative sites including council-owned land west of McPhillamy Park.
Cr Jennings' notice of motion goes a step further, asking council to "construct a go-kart track and access road as part of the second circuit precinct, and seek the necessary approvals to use already available grant funds".
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His notice of motion also notes an "impending risk of a $59.5 million budgetary loss under the second circuit project" if the go-kart track and second circuit continue to be dealt with as separate projects.
When asked if these two notices of motion should have been combined, Cr Jennings said they were offering council alternative pathways.
"I thought mine needed to stand alone because it's very much ... a financial justification for moving the track," he said.
"Cr Fry's is simply recognising that, because the court case has come to pass and the visit by the minister, the Section 9 has come to pass, that those two things have escalated the issue in terms of conflict and being contested, and therefore he is also offering an alternative pathway as well."
Cr Jennings acknowledged that his notice of motion was unlikely to win the support of most councillors.
"Although in this instance the same five [councillors] will be voting to basically waste $40 million worth of council investments, plus another $20 million in matched funding by council, so the budgetary impact is about $60 million," he said.
"I'm very keen to put this notice of motion so that there are alternative policy pathways being put forward ... It would be very clear that every time those five councillors vote against this motion that losing $45 million council invested in the second circuit project is entirely on their heads."
The notices of motion come as council, the Wiradyuri elders, and wider community await a decision from Environment Minister Sussan Ley on whether the go-kart track project can proceed at the chosen site.
Cr Jennings said if council supported his notice of motion, "all of these issues of conflict can melt away".
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