Adelaide Lord Mayor against Victoria Park grandstand despite Superloop 500 loss
Sandy Verschoor is standing firm against calls to build a grandstand in Victoria Park despite the current temporary set up forcing the city to surrender the Superloop 500 next year.
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A permanent grandstand should not be built in Victoria Park, Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor says, despite the city losing its V8 championship season opener because of the lead-in time to build temporary facilities.
Ms Verschoor maintained a permanent grandstand was not needed because the park was used for more than just motorsport events.
The Advertiser yesterday reported that uncertainty around a date for the Superloop Adelaide 500 and COVID-19 restrictions put the event at risk of cancellation during the expensive set-up process, which would incur huge losses.
“I do not think it is permanent infrastructure that should be there, full stop,” Ms Verschoor said. She was confident the race would return once the pandemic was over.
“There are many, many other users of that park – we have the criterium, solar cars, pedal prix, people walking dogs, people running … that park should be for everyone.”
In 2008, the council defied pressure from the State Government and rejected a proposal to build a 250m, four-storey permanent grandstand at the centre of Victoria Park to serve horse racing and motorsports.
Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association president Shane Sody, who welcomed news Adelaide would not host the race in March, agreed a grandstand was not necessary.
“It would be foolish (to construct),” Mr Sody said.
“There was overwhelming opposition to that (in 2008), and I would expect the same thing to occur if it is brought up again.”
Mr Sody and his association wrote to Premier Steven Marshall in July asking for the State Government to pull its support for the event.
Mr Sody would prefer the race be moved to The Bend Motorsport Park, at Tailem Bend, to protect the Parklands.
The Bend will host two weekends of V8 racing this month.
An end to the Superloop event would mean SA loses one round, worth $45 million to the economy annually.
Events SA head Hitaf Rasheed said the Superloop Adelaide 500 was the largest domestic motorsport event in the country.
“It is a street circuit set up on the edge of the CBD – it’s about the total city entertainment experience with great on-track racing, fantastic activations and entertainment and an exciting concert series,” she said.