Division 1 councillor Mark Hammel says designated burnout facility won’t be ratepayer funded but car enthusiasts can apply to build one
Hoons have called for a dedicated “burnout and skid park” on the Gold Coast, but one councillor has news for them — and it’s all bad. READ THE FULL REPORT
Gold Coast
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A RATEPAYER-funded “burnout” or “drifting pad” on the Gold Coast is never going to happen, says Mark Hammel, who represents Division 1 on the northern Gold Coast.
His comments follow requests from hoons for a designated place to “let off steam” after they were last month slammed by Bonney MP Sam O’Connor for leaving skids marks on a newly-surfaced road in Labrador.
Cr Hammel said he was aware of a number of applications over the years on the far northern Gold Coast for a dedicated burnout or drifting pad specifically designed for car enthusiasts.
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“In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing stopping any club or community group bringing forward a proposal to the City to establish a specialised facility for car enthusiasts,” he said.
“They should be treated no differently than any organised group seeking to apply for their own facility. As with any application of this nature, it would need to be vigorously asked by council in terms of the potential impact on the local community.”
Cr Hammel said he knew many locals had a number of serious concerns when it came to burnout pads, particularly in regards to excessive noise and impacts on their way of life.
“Regarding calls from the car enthusiast community for the ratepayer to wholly fund this kind of facility — frankly, it’s never going to happen,” he said.
“If it is ever going to be successful, it would need to be in an appropriate location that has the backing of the community and council, and be funded by not only government, but private enterprise and the car enthusiasts themselves.
“I feel very strongly that ratepayers should not have to completely foot the bill so car enthusiasts have somewhere to go and do burnouts.”
Cr Hammel said he recognised such a facility might take some issues off public streets but it would not even come close to solving the problem with hooning on public streets and roads. “Hoons will continue to break the law, so regardless of any purpose-built car enthusiast facility, there will still be a need for us to keep pushing the State Government for stronger laws and more police resources to deal with the issue of speeding and hooning on the Gold Coast.”
Mr O’Connor said he liked the idea of a motorsport precinct and there was nothing stopping an individual or a group proposing one and going through all the required approvals.
“I don’t think it would stop the Gold Coast’s hooning problem,” he said.
To report illegal street racing and burnouts call the Hoon Hotline on 134 666.
CALLS FOR ‘BURNOUT AND SKID PAD’ ON GOLD COAST – Nov 25
A FIERY debate has erupted over burnouts on Gold Coast residential streets, with calls for a dedicated “burnout and skid park” where people can “let off steam safely”.
It comes after Bonney MP Sam O’Connor outed hoons that left “massive skid marks” outside his office in Labrador, opposite Norm Rix Park, on Saturday night.
Nearly 700 people got involved in the discussion. Many residents were against hoons “tearing up Gold Coast streets” but there were also calls for a designated area for drivers to “let loose”. Currently the closest venues for drifting and skidding are at Mt Cotton, Brisbane and Ipswich.
In 2015 the Gold Coast City Council received an application for a speedway and motorsport complex at Alberton, just north Norwell and Jacobs Well.
It was billed as Australia’s first multipurpose motorsport park. Nearby residents strongly opposed the application and the park never eventuated.
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Bulletin reader Mark said when he first came to the Gold Coast the city had the Surfers Paradise International Raceway and associated dragstrip just off Broadbeach-Nerang Rd at Carrara.
“This provided an area for young fellas to drive and fang their hot cars,” he said.
“The local police also had a heavily modified police drag car for the youngsters to compete against. The whole idea was to provide an outlet for hooning in safety.
“Unfortunately this venue was closed down around 2003 and now the new breed of young fellas in hot cars have nowhere to fang with their cars other than on public roads.
“Whinging and moaning about hooning will do absolutely bugger all unless alternative site(s) are provided for these crazy youngsters, and yes, that included all of us in our youth, to let off some steam safely and away from public roads.”
“We need somewhere on the Gold Coast” wrote Matthew Corcoran, “I love a good skid but doing the right thing and going to Archerfield Drift Park (in Acacia Ridge) is the right way to do it but it’s a long way …”
Mr O’Connor said he liked the idea of a motorsport precinct and there was nothing stopping an individual or a group proposing one and going through all the required approvals.
“I don’t think it would stop the Gold Coast’s hooning problem,” he said.
“There is no excuse for hooning so it’s a cop out to say not having a facility like this is why people drive recklessly at all hours of the night.
“I highly doubt these people who are willing to blatantly break the law, put lives at risk, damage property and wake every person in the area up are the same type of car enthusiasts who would use a facility like that.
“If the support exists for a facility like people are claiming then let it stand up on its own merits and do the work every other organisation has to do when they want a facility.”
Brisbane Car Meets And Cruising Inc founder Peter Freeman said he knew hundreds of Gold Coast car enthusiasts who would like to visit a track and “let loose every now and then”.
“Even older people with hot roads would love a drive down the track once a year, it makes them feel alive, gives them a new lease on life,” he said.
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A DRIVER that left “massive skids” on a recently resurfaced section of road near Labrador State School on Saturday night has sparked a heated debate on hooning.
Local MP Sam O’Connor reached out to his social media followers asking for information after he was contacted by a local who witnessed the event on the corner of Government Rd and Imperial Prd at about 9.30pm.
“Something needs to be done about people thinking that public roads are their own racetrack before they kill someone,” said the local.
His children and grandchildren were visiting at the time and he said they now thought he lived in a “bad neighbourhood” and the youngsters were “scared from the noise and tyre smoke”.
“This is the third time in a month this has happened in the area.”
Mr O’Connor asked anyone with information about the incident, that occurred outside his office, to contact the police.
“Labrador is a proud community. This behaviour is not only dangerous, it brings down the great area we live in, especially because this was a nice, recently resurfaced bit of road,” he said.
Nat Chalmers said there were “a few disappointed schoolchildren this morning who take pride in their school and their community”.
But the MP’s plea for help has sparked an outcry online, with nearly 500 comments relating to the incident. While many condemned the move, a growing majority praised the driver for their “circle work”.
“Just putting down some fresh rubber on the new road to help other motorists out by increasing the grip levels. Sounds like it was done at a responsible time of night to keep the children safe from the potentially hazardous work,” wrote one person.
Dozens of others suggested the reason more people were doing burnouts on residential streets was because there wasn’t a “designated skid spot” for them to do so on the Gold Coast.
Willis Millis said it was obvious an area was needed so “you can keep an eye on all the hoons in one spot. Skids are going happen either way. It’s bogan nature.”
His thoughts were echoed by Pb Thompson who suggested a small-to-medium track on the Gold Coast for drifting and burnouts “would help drop the hoon rate”.
But Danny Ellem said the problem wasn’t just confined to Labrador and that there were daily burnouts in her Upper Coomera suburb.
“They are even doing it during the day. I’ve also reported it to the police who can’t do anything without car registrations,” she said.
Nicolas Teakle blasted people who thought burnouts were a good idea, suggesting their licences be cut up.
“All you are proving is how irresponsible and reckless you are and that you are bigger than sliced bread. Get a life and take this stupidity to the track with your pea brain mates.”
Police have been contacted for comment.
A Queensland Police Service spokesman said it had not received reports of an incident in Labrador on Saturday night but it encouraged members of the public to report hoon activities.
This includes illegal street racing, burnout offences, playing loud music from car stereos and more.
“Simply call the Hoon Hotline on 13 HOON (134 666) or report hoons online,” he said.
“If possible someone reporting an incident should tell the operator what the vehicle is and looks like, what hooning activity the vehicle was doing, the registration plates, the date, time and where the vehicle was. This will help the police identify and stop the hoon.”
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