Eastern Creek to be transformed into hi-tech motoring precinct
IT IS the spiritual home of Sydney’s revheads — and now Eastern Creek is about to go hi-tech. The Sydney Motorsport Park will be transformed into Australia’s first precinct to test cutting-edge motoring technology.
NSW
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SYDNEY’S iconic home for revheads will be transformed into Australia’s first precinct to test cutting-edge motoring technology.
Under the expansion plans, Sydney Motorsport Park (SMP) at Eastern Creek would become a world leader in developing new tech, including driverless cars and systems to stop crashes.
Major international companies are in final talks to open testing facilities at the 92ha site.
Based on Silverstone in the UK, a motor racing circuit now known as the “Silicon Valley of Formula One”, the expansion of the Western Sydney raceway would also provide training and education for mechanics and engineers.
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SMP chief executive officer Glenn Matthews said his ambition was to create the “world class venue” in the next five to 10 years.
“To be in Western Sydney and have world-leading technology being developed there is just fantastic,” he said.
“We looked at this whole idea of creating an innovation and education precinct, and so from that we looked around the world and we took a trip over to the UK and we went to Silverstone.”
Blacktown Council, which wants to create a new university, recently signed an agreement with SMP, while Mr Matthews has also met with TAFE NSW and Western Sydney University. Driverless car testing is also already under way at Eastern Creek.
Western Sydney Minister Stuart Ayres said SMP could rival “world renowned precincts like Silverstone”.
Mr Matthews said integral to SMP’s future success was the installation of permanent lighting along the circuit, worth about $17 million.
The first V8 Supercar race under lights in more than 20 years was held earlier this month, attracting more than 30,000 spectators.
“It will do for Supercars in Sydney what 20/20 has done for cricket,” he said.
The lights would also allow the venue, already at 98 per cent capacity, to operate longer for a range of initiatives, including night-time driver safety programs and tourism packages.
Supercars driver Fabian Coulthard said: “After we raced there under lights it really showed how SMP could be a world class racing and training centre, and potentially a leader in Australia, if not the world, in our largest city. The possibilities to add other training, learning and conferencing facilities is massive.”