Drive It NQ takes aim at TCC over communication problems for motorsport project

Townsville’s long-awaited motorsport and driver education precinct is ‘in limbo’, with its proposed drag strip in jeopardy. Read why.

The DriveIt NQ project is close to opening but it has hit a roadblock. Picture: Supplied.

The organisation behind NQ’s future motorsport and driver education facility has spoken out about the lengthy breakdown in communication with Townsville City Council keeping their project “in limbo”, and a proposed drag strip in jeopardy.

Two decades in the making, the long-awaited multipurpose DriveIt NQ venue at the Lansdown Eco Industrial Precinct in Calcium would provide first class facilities for a wide range of activities including professional and recreational racing, driver education, emergency services training, and product testing.

Supported by all levels of government, the $22m project on a 306ha footprint, was being driven by not-for-profit association Drive It NQ, which incorporates dozens of local organisations, clubs, and individuals.

Once fully developed, the project was estimated to create 147 jobs while delivering $35m to Townsville’s economy annually.

Pleased to reveal that their racing circuit would open in mid-May, Drive It NQ chief executive Pat Driscoll said the good news was offset by TCC’s road blocks.

Upgrading the surface of DriveIt NQ's circuit earlier this year. Picture: Supplied.

He said the project was stalled due to wrangling over an access road and a lack of communication about a revised development application, which was lodged last August.

“We need clarity on what our access is going to be. To date, all the meetings between the Queensland government bureaucracy and council have indicated that it’s forthcoming and that we would not be out of pocket to get a road to our door,” Mr Driscoll said.

Access roads and projects at that Lansdown Eco Industrial Precinct. Picture: TCC.

“The latest communication is silent on any of that.

“We’re in limbo and no one’s answering our calls. Which is disappointing.”

He said a condition of their agreement with the state government stipulated they had 12 months left to resolve the access road issue, otherwise $10m in funding for the drag strip would not be released.

“That’s a major concern to us and we’ve communicated this on several occasions to council,” he said.

“Milford Planning has been in touch with the planning staff on a regular basis … and they’ve received no word.

“We are victims of unusual circumstances (but) we are open-minded to a timely solution.”

Despite being a foundation proponent at Lansdown, Mr Driscoll said DriveIt NQ had also been dropped from the precinct’s list of recognised projects by TCC.

“We are a disadvantaged, pre-approved property so it doesn’t make sense that we can’t benefit from anything that’s there,” he said.

A Townsville City Council spokesman said it actively supported the Driveit development from its inception as an important project for the region.

“One of the final steps as a condition of the approved Development plan is for Driveit to provide an access-road to the facility,” the spokesman said.

“We understand this comes at considerable cost, so council has been working with Driveit to identify alternative options that may be available.

“Mayor Jenny Hill has personally reached out to the board of Driveit to request a meeting with herself and Council to seek to progress the final stage of the project.”

Originally published as Drive It NQ takes aim at TCC over communication problems for motorsport project