PLANS to construct a go-kart track on land alongside Conrod Straight, Mount Panorama will progress to the development application (DA) stage.
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The decision, made at the August 16, 2023 Bathurst Regional Council meeting, comes just over two years after plans to build the track on land at the back of McPhillamy Park were forced to be scrapped.
As has been the trend during the long go-kart track saga, the decision was not unanimous.
Mayor Robert Taylor, deputy mayor Ben Fry and councillors Warren Aubin, Graeme Hanger, Ian North and Andrew Smith supported taking the project to DA stage.
Meanwhile, councillors Kirralee Burke and Marg Hogan opposed it.
Cr Jess Jennings, who historically has opposed the go-kart track for financial reasons, was not present for the vote due to disruptions to the audiovisual link.
Councillors North and Aubin spruiked the benefits of the track during discussion of the report.
"This is a community asset, it will make money, and at 14 meetings a year, that's fantastic," Cr Aubin said.
The decision to progress the go-kart track is a contentious one, as it comes amid questions over council's spending.
Council is considering making an application for a supersized rate increase that could see the average ratepayer having to hand over hundreds of dollars more each year. For some, the figure will exceed $1000.
Yet, the go-kart track is estimated to cost $4.07 million, and council currently has just $2.5 million allocated for the project, all of which is loan funding.
There are also concerns about noise, with more than 200 individual private residences that would be affected when the track is operational.
Cr Burke said proceeding with a DA when there's so much uncertainty surrounding the project was not sound financial management.
"In these times, we should be scurrying our money away, as we've said, ensuring that our investments not only serve the community's interest, but also stand on solid financial ground," she said.
"Committing to send this project to the next stage, which is proceeding with a DA, with its current financial gaps and the unresolved issues and the lack of communication to the community that it impacts is not just unsound, but I believe it is irresponsible."
Cr Hogan said she wanted no part in the project.
"Bathurst deserves better than this. If we're going to do this, we should have done it properly, made it a multi-purpose site suitable for mini motos and learner drivers, and sadly I think that that opportunity may have been missed amidst a bloody-minded determination to push ahead with this site," she said.
"If you want to go ahead and waste more ratepayers' precious money on this one to take it to a DA, go right ahead, but I want no part in it."
While council will proceed to a DA, no timeline has been given for when this will be prepared.
The track itself has not been approved to be built.
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Rachel Chamberlain
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
I have been a journalist at the Western Advocate since 2014.
