PRO: Garden Island Motorsport Complex | $25m

[flavze]

I am hanging out for this to open, i have been considering heading over to Vic or Sydney for a weekend to watch top level drag racing. Would be great if we were to get something like this here in SA.

[Wayno]

yep, i'd go along on occasion too! i have several motorhead friends (not hoons though - there's a difference, just ask Minister Tom Koutsantonis )

[Strangled Cat]

Hey Sir Lustalot, it's good to see a fellow car enthusiest on board here, having said that it would appear you've been in the industry a lot longer than I have LOL. Apart from the odd street meet I've attended, I have to say that's just about where my experience ends.

Did you attend the petition at Port Adelaide last year, I think it was 30th April? If so, do you know what's been the result of it, whether anything has flowed on from it.

One other thing I want to clarify, when you say AIR closed in 2000, do you mean it closed to a particulr entrant? Not being from Adelaide originally, I'm not to aware of it's history. When I moved over in March '05 AIr was still running street meets up until early '06 if I remember correctly.

[Sir Lustalot]

Hello ye Strangled Cat,

Firstly re AIR, ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association, affiliated with CAMS and the FIA) Championship Drag Racing finished in 2000 as the owner of the track wanted to run his own events with his own insurance policy that, as has since been proven, unfortunately didn't cover everyone (Mods - I can substantiate this claim, PM me if you wish). The track also didn't meet the required safety standards for ANDRA insurance.

In October 2005 a charity event was organized to help get all the relevant parties back together. The event was attended by over 30,000 and raised around $200,000 for the Burns Trust, Mary Potter Hospice and the Freemasons. Some track improvements were made to gain sanction from ANDRA. This included a temporary concrete wall borrowed from the Clipsal 500 running down the infield lane (where there was nothing after 1/3 track) through to the end of the breaking area, as well as significant changes to ensure crowd safety. The track surface itself still had issues, ie - very bumpy and some (non - rain) days you could jump up and down on the track surface and water would come up between the cracks due to its poor construction and proximity to the water table. Not good for high powered cars and certainly contributed to a number of accidents and near misses. After the October meeting another event was held in November with some Pro-Stock cars. Around 7pm that evening the timing system failed and there has been no racing since.

As for the Pt Adelaide rally on Adelaide Cup Day last year (43C that day!) we had around 10,000 attend with around 8000 signatures collected in the day (the kids couldn't sign), with, I think, around 15,000 more collected since then, I'll correct it with an edit if I'm wrong. I was involved in the organization of the event and considering we only had two weeks to organize it, only used word of mouth, Internet, a few posters to promote it and the ridiculously hot weather that day, we were all pleased with the outcome.

Mark Butler, Labor MP for Pt Adelaide was aware of the rally and tabled it in Fed Parliament during general business highlighting the lack of a Drag Racing facility in SA. We have to remember that the Perth and Sydney tracks were State Government funded and are run as a (profitable) commercial business. In June last year the Federal Gov announced $3mil for the upgrading of Darwin's Drag Strip while the previous Federal Gov gave around $1mil to build a new Drag Strip in Alice Springs. For three separate governments to spend over $40mil on drag strips, and have the venues operating at a profit and delivering all that they promised during the respective feasibility studies etc. you have to wonder why here in Adelaide we can't seem to get approval to build this privately funded track, which will return to the state all the benefits these interstate tracks have given their respective areas, less the taxpayers money to begin with (takes breath and thumps desk )

Everything seemed plodding along with the efficiency only the SA Gov can deliver , when just after the Clipsal 500 there was the accident with those guys racing on Magill Rd. Out of nowhere Tom K started ranting about the State Gov not supporting a Drag Strip as it would only encourage more of this behaviour, and in doing so managed to 'severely annoy' the many thousands of South Australians who have modified cars, racecars and in buisinesses that rely on motorsport related interests. It's worth noting he was the only member to speak out against the track, Libs being for the venue and Labor not saying anything. Later he conceded on Fresh FM that he wasn't against the venue if it was privately funded, just against Gov or Road Safety money going towards it. Not that it's needed, but it was certainly a different story to what he was saying on 5AA on the days before and after, after speaking on Fresh!

That being said we can only hope this project can now be assessed professionally and hopefully the Gov will realize the benefits this venue can deliver to SA and has already been proven as being a growing, popular sport here and overseas.

Oh, and a quick plug - I think the first of the oneHD shows air this Sunday at **edit** <11:30am> this Sunday featuring Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock from Brisbane last weekend . Also, for those who are interested in what we are missing out on (not forgetting we will also have a circuit/motorcross and boats) visit the two latest Gov built track sites in Sydney http://www.wsid.com.au/ and Perth http://www.motorplex.com.au/.

Cheers,

Sir L

[flavze]

i really don't understand why the former minister was so against the government was so against funding some or all of a new "drag stadium" as he puts it when theres a pile of stats an figures from when the new sydney strip was opened proving that it had a drastic impact on lessening street racing.

[Strangled Cat]

Hello ye Strangled Cat,

Firstly re AIR, ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association, affiliated with CAMS and the FIA) Championship Drag Racing finished in 2000 as the owner of the track wanted to run his own events with his own insurance policy that, as has since been proven, unfortunately didn't cover everyone (Mods - I can substantiate this claim, PM me if you wish). The track also didn't meet the required safety standards for ANDRA insurance.

In October 2005 a charity event was organized to help get all the relevant parties back together. The event was attended by over 30,000 and raised around $200,000 for the Burns Trust, Mary Potter Hospice and the Freemasons. Some track improvements were made to gain sanction from ANDRA. This included a temporary concrete wall borrowed from the Clipsal 500 running down the infield lane (where there was nothing after 1/3 track) through to the end of the breaking area, as well as significant changes to ensure crowd safety. The track surface itself still had issues, ie - very bumpy and some (non - rain) days you could jump up and down on the track surface and water would come up between the cracks due to its poor construction and proximity to the water table. Not good for high powered cars and certainly contributed to a number of accidents and near misses. After the October meeting another event was held in November with some Pro-Stock cars. Around 7pm that evening the timing system failed and there has been no racing since.

As for the Pt Adelaide rally on Adelaide Cup Day last year (43C that day!) we had around 10,000 attend with around 8000 signatures collected in the day (the kids couldn't sign), with, I think, around 15,000 more collected since then, I'll correct it with an edit if I'm wrong. I was involved in the organization of the event and considering we only had two weeks to organize it, only used word of mouth, Internet, a few posters to promote it and the ridiculously hot weather that day, we were all pleased with the outcome.

Mark Butler, Labor MP for Pt Adelaide was aware of the rally and tabled it in Fed Parliament during general business highlighting the lack of a Drag Racing facility in SA. We have to remember that the Perth and Sydney tracks were State Government funded and are run as a (profitable) commercial business. In June last year the Federal Gov announced $3mil for the upgrading of Darwin's Drag Strip while the previous Federal Gov gave around $1mil to build a new Drag Strip in Alice Springs. For three separate governments to spend over $40mil on drag strips, and have the venues operating at a profit and delivering all that they promised during the respective feasibility studies etc. you have to wonder why here in Adelaide we can't seem to get approval to build this privately funded track, which will return to the state all the benefits these interstate tracks have given their respective areas, less the taxpayers money to begin with (takes breath and thumps desk )

Everything seemed plodding along with the efficiency only the SA Gov can deliver , when just after the Clipsal 500 there was the accident with those guys racing on Magill Rd. Out of nowhere Tom K started ranting about the State Gov not supporting a Drag Strip as it would only encourage more of this behaviour, and in doing so managed to 'severely annoy' the many thousands of South Australians who have modified cars, racecars and in buisinesses that rely on motorsport related interests. It's worth noting he was the only member to speak out against the track, Libs being for the venue and Labor not saying anything. Later he conceded on Fresh FM that he wasn't against the venue if it was privately funded, just against Gov or Road Safety money going towards it. Not that it's needed, but it was certainly a different story to what he was saying on 5AA on the days before and after, after speaking on Fresh!

That being said we can only hope this project can now be assessed professionally and hopefully the Gov will realize the benefits this venue can deliver to SA and has already been proven as being a growing, popular sport here and overseas.

Oh, and a quick plug - I think the first of the oneHD shows air this Sunday at **edit** <11:30am> this Sunday featuring Top Doorslammer and Pro Stock from Brisbane last weekend . Also, for those who are interested in what we are missing out on (not forgetting we will also have a circuit/motorcross and boats) visit the two latest Gov built track sites in Sydney http://www.wsid.com.au/ and Perth http://www.motorplex.com.au/.

Cheers,

Sir L

Thanks for that extremely informative post. I'm a member of a few internet car forums and freely read many others, yet there's been no one on any of them that has been able to shed as much light on this topic as you. Considering that this isn't a car related forum, I don't know if too many members on here can appreciate (or even care about) the situation that motorsport in this state is in and how enlightning your posts are due to the lack of information. Keep up the good work mate.

[Wayno]

Sir Lusty, i'm a big fan of creating opportunities that help our Politicians, Leaders & Authorities look good. Throw them a compelling case that creates good PR and they sometimes bite.

Have you (and your motorsport friends) considered approaching them with the above info? I'm not suggesting you should approach the media (and certainly not "The Advetiser"), but instead write a compelling business case for the $25m motorsport complex. You could also consider getting a bunch of supporting statements from motorsport bodies interstate - anything to help build your case.

Just a thought.

[Sir Lustalot]

Hi Wayno,

Sorry about the delay in posting.

All you have mentioned has been done, submitted to Government and we are just waiting (and waiting) for an answer. I think one of the issues is the lease arrangement. The Consortium has offered to either buy or lease the land from the government. Apparently the land can't be sold as it is dual use land. I'm not entirely sure what that entails other than it has something to do with part of the land in question is planned on being used for stormwater catchment. In exchange for the use of the land, the consortium have offered to build the stormwater catchment area free of charge for the Government. This is where I believe the boats will run so as not to pollute the Port River.

So basically the Consortium wishes to build not only an international standard sporting venue at no expense to the Government, they also are willing to build the necessary stormwater catchment area for the Wingfield industrial area, once again, at no expense to the Government.

I don't know about you guys, it sounds like a reasonably fair deal to me!

[Wayno]

A related topic...

http://portaugusta.yourguide.com.au/new ... 05429.aspx

Port Augusta could become a hub for motorsports in the state, as plans for a future multi purpose motor sport park come together.

It would be the only park of its type in South Australia and bring economic and social benefits as it attracted enthusiasts from around the country.

The motorsports park is the vision of the Northern Drag and Motorsports Association which was formed in September 2007.

According to club president Mark Kuhn first stage of the plan is to build a national standard drag strip and then add a bitumen circuit for car, motorbike and go kart racing.

The association hoped that other motor sports disciplines may operate from the facility in the future.

The association has been active in its fundraising efforts, with its main focus on purchasing land suitable for motorsports park development.

Mr Kuhn said once land had been located and secured, the association would approach local and State Governments for funding assistance and approvals.

“We are not taking this lightly “ Mr Kuhn

“Our 130 members are very focused on this project and making it a reality within our five-year business plan.”

Mr Kuhn said having land “shows the government you are serious”.

“We feel we need to show the community and the local and State Governments that we are not just going to sit back and expect them to make it happen for us,” he said.

“By going out and fundraising for the purchase of the land it should demonstrate that we are a club of substance and influence which should gain the club some credibility.”

Mr Kuhn said the park would become a major attraction for the region, hosting race meetings and also as a facility for training drivers and riders.

“There is a definite consensus, this facility is needed in the region - that being a reflection of our large and varied club membership,” he said.

“This area has been overlooked and neglected by past governments that being obvious as we don’t even have an entertainment centre in the town which is just not acceptable for a city of Port Augusta’s size and location.”

[Howie]

Sir Lustalot, I was wondering if this proposal has gotten any further since you last posted?

[Howie]

Plans are under way for a major protest.

Posted by Scott across various car club forums.

Hi all, post this on all the forums you can at let everyone know!!! A website will soon be up and running with all the details.

There will be a public meeting being held in Pt Adelaide at 2pm on Sunday the 16th of August (location to be confirmed) at which all people who have an interest in the proposed Pt Adelaide Motorplex will have an opportunity to not only to hear from the consortium themselves, also from politicians, guest speakers etc.

This will be followed by a protest at Parliament House, Nth Tce in the city on Friday the 28th of August at 5pm that will bring the city to a standstill.

Police permits will be arranged and we expect total co-operation of the Police.

Everyone is to be on their best behavior as there will be a huge media presence. Bring your cars and your family. The events will be self policed so if you see someone doing something stupid that could harm the image of the modified car/motorsport community don't hesitate to report it.

We are an important part of the community and we (who do the right thing) deserve better treatment from the Media and the Government.

Consider this -

A footballer only has to purchase a Guernsey, shorts, some boots and pay his subs to play (the government and councils generally supply all the ovals and facilities).

Someone involved in modified cars/motorsport probably spends on average around $30,000 to 'play', whilst at the same time much of that money goes into local businesses creating jobs and apprenticeships.

Not only do we not have a place to play, we have a situation where by a private consortium, who wishes to build the track on the land the government offered them (and which the consortium offered to purchase or lease off of the government), with no taxpayer input required, has the offer knocked back because it will 'create more hoons on the public roads'.

If you want this Motorplex to become a reality, and can see all the positives for SA that will go with it, just spend a couple of hours of your life to attend the meeting and then the protest, making it one of the noisiest protests in SA history!

This is our one chance to show that we, the modified car/motorsport/business community are more than a just bunch of hoons who are a drain on society.

Enough is Enough!!!

Stay tuned for more news!

[Strangled Cat]

Update from another website

Hi all,

Due to the completely overwhelming response to the public meeting/protest, the dates will have to be revised.

Since the announcement less than 48hrs ago we have received requests from interstate car clubs, race teams, companies and many individuals who wish to attend in support of our situation in SA. Unfortunately due to the relatively short notice this has made it difficult for them to attend and support us in our fight.

As we wish to make the biggest statement possible to the State Government we have decided to revise the dates of the public meeting (was Sunday August 16) and the Protest (was Friday August 28 )

We apologise to those who have organized time off work for the Protest, however in order to maximize the impact and to achieve our desired outcome, this is necessary.

I'm sure you all realize how big this Protest is turning out, and we want it to be the best it can be for everyone of us.

For future news, developments and the revised dates/times of the protest go to www.adelaidemotorplex.com.au This page should be up and running in the next few days featuring regular updates.

That's all for now and thanks to everyone who wants to make it happen

from http://www.adelaidemotorplex.com.au/

[Port Adelaide Fan]

Fight is on for $25m motor sport venue

A $25 MILLION state-of-the-art motorsport complex for Adelaide has been rejected by the State Government but the developers behind the proposal have vowed to make it an election issue.

A group of Adelaide investors, who have been planning the complex for two years, wants to build the multi-purpose venue which would include a race circuit, skid pan, drift circuit, jet sprint boat course, drag strip, speedway, business park and conference centre.

The Land Management Corporation this week told the consortium that the proposed parcel of land in Gilman, which was suggested by the LMC two years ago, was no longer suitable.

Adelaide International Raceway director and consortium spokeswoman Anna Micheel said: "We were gutted to say the least.

"But at the same time, now the fight begins. We were told the other day they (the Government) didn't want it to become an election issue, but it will become an election issue - there are too many motorsport enthusiasts not just in this state but around the country who want this to happen."

Ms Micheel said the Government had grossly underestimated the popular support for the complex.

Since being notified of the LMC's decision on Tuesday, the consortium has taken the fight to the public - setting up a Facebook group which has already attracted more than 1600 members.

She said not only had the Government "shafted all the motorsport fans in SA", it had also missed the opportunity to put Adelaide on the lucrative national motorsport events calendar.

"They are missing out on a $25m investment in the state, they are missing out on a massive boost to tourism figures, they are missing out on the positive economic impact of motorsport because it attracts its own cluster industries, and they are missing out on job creation," she said.

Consortium member Bill Russo said it was disappointing the Government supported the Clipsal 500, but not a local industry.

Port Adelaide-Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson said the venue would prove a much-needed boost to the Port area and said he was concerned the Government was not assisting the consortium.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 82,00.html

[Strangled Cat]

Copy and pasted this from another website...

New announcement: Adelaide Motorplex Public Meeting - SUNDAY August 23rd at 2:00pm?
THE PUBLIC MEETING for the proposed Adelaide Motorplex HAS NOW BEEN CONFIRMED!!!!!
SUNDAY August 23rd at 2:00pm
Masonic Hall, Cnr Dale Street and Commercial St, Port Adelaide.
Lots of info and speakers, plus the announcement of the date for the Rally in front of Parliment House.

Support on Facebook has seen 3000+ Members join in less than one week, if you are on Facebook you can join the group here - Adelaide Motorplex Facebook Group

and the hits keep coming to the website www.adelaidemotorplex.com.au, if you haven't been there yet head over for the latest information, news, links etc. Sign the guestbook and show your support, if you want to put your Club's or Business's name on the support list there is a contact form on the site too.

Cheers
Glenn

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:

http://smasa.com.au/forum/index.php?topic=2403.0

Regards,
The Street Machine Association of South Australia Team.

[Strangled Cat]

I got this pm on facebook

First up I'd like to thank everyone for the support, 3011 Members in a touch under 1 week. Keep it up and spread the word.

Secondly,
THE PUBLIC MEETING HAS NOW BEEN CONFIRMED!!!!!
SUNDAY August 23rd at 2:00pm
Masonic Hall, Cnr Dale Street and Commercial St, Port Adelaide. Lots of info and speakers, plus the announcement of the date for the Rally in front of Parliment House.

Thirdly, if you have a spare minute or two hit up the website http://www.adelaidemotorplex.com.au (so we crank the hit counter) and sign the guestbook with a support message.

Cheers
Glenn