Ipswich Motocross Cup: Moreton Districts Motocross’ Jai Schluter on future of Tivoli Raceway

Plans lodged in 2018 to redevelop the track into a housing development were abandoned in 2019 after resistance from the local community

Moreton Districts Motocross club president Jai Schluter. Picture: Cordell Richardson

THE first major race day in two years will be held at the Tivoli Raceway in June after a long period of uncertainty around the future of the site.

Plans lodged in 2018 to redevelop the track into a housing development were abandoned in 2019 after resistance from the local community.

After other attempts to sell the Chuwar facility fell through, owner Motorcycling Queensland says it is exploring how to use the site “in the pursuit of advancement of motorcycling sport, recreation and training”.

The Moreton Districts Motocross club is the caretaker of the track, which was established in 1964, with volunteers putting in significant hours to get it up to scratch for competitive racing.

Practice days and non-competitive events have been held at the site in recent months and attracted up to 150 riders but the club is planning for a “premier event” to attract more than 250 entrants.

President Jai Schluter said the Ipswich Motocross Cup, which is planned for June 12 and 13, would be a monumental event for the club and for motocross in Ipswich.

The uncertainty around the future of the facility hit the club hard and it now has about 200 members; well down from the 620 it had at its peak.

“Motorcycling Queensland has basically said to us we’ve got a longer period here,” he said.

“Every sale that they’ve had for Tivoli has fallen through due to all sorts of different reasons, whether that be soil testing, finances, or not being permitted to do what they want to do with the land.

“We thought if we’re going to be there indefinitely, we might as well start racing again.”

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Mr Schluter said the club had renewed energy with a new committee and new members working hard to get the track back in top condition despite battling vandals and thieves.

“The place is alive and well,” he said.

“We’ve been maintaining the place to keep it operational but kind of low key.

“We didn’t know what the direction was and what was happening.

“The club didn’t want to basically go broke in the process of trying to keep it running when there was no light at the end of the tunnel.”

Motorcycling Queensland assist with administration costs to run events and low rent in exchange for looking after the track.

About $5000 in prize money will be up for grabs for the upcoming Ipswich Motocross Cup.

Riders from as young as four-years-old old the way up to veterans at 70 are being encouraged to enter and every junior category will have a female category.

Girls can still chose to race against the boys if they wish but the option is there to race in their own class.

“Without having your pinnacle or your big meeting of the year, people don’t know the club even exists,” Schluter said.

“You need to have something there to make people want to come.

“It’s hugely important to Ipswich as well and the wider Brisbane region because there’s simply no race tracks that are offering motocross racing close to our vicinity.

“There’s nothing in Ipswich. There’s other ride parks, things like Willowbank and (Queensland Moto Park), but there’s actually no competition facilities so it’s very important to the community and the sport to have this track operational and operating as a competition venue.”

Mr Schluter said if the track is sold the club will temporarily move to the Queensland Moto Park near Boonah.

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“(Motorcycling Queensland) said they can’t lock it into a period because they don’t know themselves,” he said.

“If and when anything happens it will be a very long settlement so we will have a lot of time to relocate.

“When we build our own facility it will be in the Willowbank region.”

Motorcycling Queensland general manager Kim Rowcliffe said the site has been owned and operated by the organisation for more than 50 years.

“An application lodged in 2018 to redevelop the site as a low-density residential subdivision met a surprising amount of community resistance which, in the end, led to the withdrawal of the application and the abandoning of those plans,” he said.

“After considering a range of possible alternative uses, Motorcycling Queensland is currently considering how to now best utilise the iconic Tivoli site in line with its zoning, in the pursuit of the advancement of motorcycling sport, recreation and training.”

Read more stories by Lachlan McIvor here.

Originally published as Ipswich Motocross Cup: Moreton Districts Motocross’ Jai Schluter on future of Tivoli Raceway