Petition pushing to bring ‘adrenaline precinct’ to northern Gold Coast
A push to bring an adrenaline precinct to northern Gold Coast has the backing of motorsport enthusiasts and multiple local businesses. FULL DETAILS >>>
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THOUSANDS of motorsport enthusiasts and multiple Gold Coast businesses are backing a push for an adrenaline precinct to be built in the city.
Motorsport and the Glitter Strip have a rich history dates back to the 1960s but the sport’s fans and participants say they are feeling neglected by the city council.
A petition is calling on the Gold Coast City Council to commence a “long promised investigation into an adrenaline precinct”.
The idea to have it in cane fields on the northern Gold Coast for motorsports including dirt bikes, go-carts and drifting vehicles was floated in 2014.
The petition has been launched by Jeff Smith, an employee of the now closed Xtreme Karting and creator of Facebook group Support Motorsport at Pimpama. It has over 10,500 members.
He has asked members to sign the petition now at up to eight city businesses, including Jacobs Well bakery the Flying Pie Man, Anchor Buoy Cafe at Hope Island and Tallai Pool and Spa.
Mr Smith said his petition was not about getting his facility reopened.
Xtreme Karting was forced to close in July when it was unsuccessful in appealing a decision by the Planning and Environment Court of Queensland.
The appeal was against the city council refusing the karting development in its Pimpama location.
Mr Smith said: “It’s about providing a space for all motorsport lovers.
“There’s a huge community on the Gold Coast that love motorsport and there’s many more who’d be willing to travel if we had an adrenaline precinct.
“Not only would it be great for locals but also for tourism and the economy.”
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates said the location planned for Jacobs Well and Norwell was proposed as an economic driver by the Director of Planning during formation of the 2016 City Plan.
“Let’s be very clear. I will never condone the construction of a facility that encourages free-for-all burn out activities conducted by people operating vehicles both illegally and dangerously,” she said recently.
“Council would never spend a cent on encouraging this behaviour. Hoons have no place behind a steering wheel.
“Challenges with a facility of this nature (the adrenaline precinct) include its location given noise, access to and from any such facility as well as the safety of spectators and enthusiasts at the venue.
“Although the State’s Government’s Regional Plan permits the development of tourism and sporting infrastructure outside the urban footprint, there has not been any further action in this space by any commercial operator.
“My view is this concept would not be revisited by Council as people with an interest in motor sports have approved and regulated race tracks across the south east, including drag racing, open wheel racing, custom cars and motorcycles.”
Xtreme Karting’s recent fate was similar to the Darlington Park Raceway that was opened in 1998 but shut a decade later due to noise complaints.
Before the Peachey Rd raceway there was the Surfers Paradise International Raceway.
The facility sat on the banks of the Nerang River and ran from the 1960s until it was demolished in 2001 to make way for the redevelopment of the land.
It is now occupied by the Emerald Lakes residential estate.
Why council refused school, junior club on empty Coast kart track
September 24, 2021
THE operators of a motorsport facility that was forced to close are at a loss what they can do with the empty tracks.
Pimpama facility Xtreme Karting was shut in July when it was unsuccessful in appealing a decision by the Planning and Environment Court of Queensland.
The appeal was against the Gold Coast City Council refusing the karting development in its Pimpama location.
Xtreme Karting is only permitted to a maximum of two WRX vehicles on the gravel circuit and a maximum of three buggies on the sealed circuit at any one time, according to a 2010 order.
Judge Nicole Kefford rejected the appeal to allow other vehicles in July because the karting facility did not comply with the council’s Gold Coast Planning Scheme 2003.
She said the proposed development would conflict with performance criteria PC19 of the Emerging Communities Domain Place Code, which states: “The proposed use must not detract from the amenity of the local area, having regard, but not limited, to the impact of noise.”
It was found that the business was allowing vehicles that it’s not licensed to host to ride on the track.
The facility was used regularly for rental karts, while it hosted many events, including the annual international karting event Race of Stars.
Since the decision in July, the Pimpama facility has not hosted any activity.
Staff member Jeff Smith said the WRX vehicles and buggies allowed on the track are too loud and would draw complaints from neighbours.
He said it has become clear any other vehicle will not be allowed at the facility after the Gold Coast Cycling Club and Aquinas College reached out to use the facility but the City Council rejected both.
“The school wanted to use human powered vehicles and the cycling club was going to get juniors to cycle on the track but the Gold Coast City Council refused,” he said.
“We were doing it free of charge and with no one using the track we thought it’d be fine but apparently unless it’s WRX cars or buggies no one can use the facility.”
A Gold Coast City Spokesperson said: “The Gold Coast Cycling Club has a request for their junior riders to use the facility for cycling and the Aquinas College made a request that their students ride human powered vehicles at the facility.
“It is Council’s understanding that the activities proposed by the Gold Coast Cycling Club and Aquinas College are not authorised by the 2010 approval.
“On that basis Council considers that the activity would be unlawful, and Council cannot informally allow the activity to occur.
“Council’s position is that any activities not authorised by the 2010 approval must be formally approved via a development permit.”
Aquinas College teacher Paul Hand used Xtreme Karting for a Gold Coast pedal prix racing (human powered vehicle) event from 2015 to 2017.
Mr Hand said he was shocked when he was turned down by council to use the facility for a friendly race between students.
“Pre-Covid the sport had nine events across Queensland. That has dropped significantly during the pandemic and I wanted to keep the students’ spirits alive with a race at Xtreme Karting,” he said.
“We normally have up to 50 students and five teams from the school competing in the Queensland circuit but that has dropped with events being cancelled.
“I approached Jeff to host an unofficial event for about 30 high-school students and he said he’d do it free of charge but had to run it past council, but they didn’t allow it to go ahead.”
Mr Hand said he understands the facility’s regulations but questioned how vehicles that are “very quiet” can be banned from the track.
“Put it this way, if you were walking along and someone drove up behind you in one, you’d be none the wiser it was there until it ran you over,” he said.
“These things have no motor and make no noise.”
Why Qld Gov doesn’t support off road safety programs
September 16, 2021
GOLD Coast driving instructors say the Queensland government is putting novice drivers in more danger than needed due to a lack of off-road training facilities.
However, Transport and Main Roads (TMR) say the off-road programs are “counter-productive” and give young drivers “overconfidence”.
Tony Cossor has set up a petition asking for the state government to provide more “closed course” facilities to teach learner drivers and riders before they get on public roads.
The petition has received close to 1200 signatures.
Mr Cossor is the CEO of Life Connect but said he was previously an engineer in motor racing and helped teach defensive driving courses in Sydney.
“The planning regulation doesn’t actually have a category for driver training facilities,” he said.
“Areas for motorsport fall under sporting facilities, which most people think of football and cricket fields.
“People think these facilities promote fast driving but courses like defensive driver training teach safe driving.”
Mr Cossor said the state government and council needed to be more proactive about driver training to keep new drivers safe.
“In schools students do activities like golf and surfing but there’s no driver training.
“Most of the time, when a new driver finds themselves in an emergency situation on the road it’s the first time they’ve been faced with the situation.”
A TMR spokesperson said: “Vehicle-handling and control training – defensive driving – programs have failed to reduce crash risk for young drivers and, in some cases, have been counter-productive.
“Evidence shows some training programs have contributed to young drivers’ sense of overconfidence regarding their ability to cope with driving in hazardous situations and increased risk-taking without improvement of actual skills.
“Controlled environment driver trainer programs focusing on developing higher-order cognitive skills to avoid risks, including hazard perception and response, insight and resilience, provide novice drivers the practical education they require to become safe road users.
“We have developed controlled environment driver trainer guidelines to support organisations which deliver driver trainer programs, on non-public road facilities, to provide the greatest learning outcomes for novice drivers.”
The spokesperson said driver training programs were privately operated businesses and TMR did not provide facilities anywhere in Queensland for driver training.
TMR said that when the petition closes on October 5, it would prepare a response for parliament.
Top Rider motorcycle school founder Bernie Hatton, who has coached world-class racers for close to four decades, said dealing with the Gold Coast City Council to find locations to teach riders off-road had been a struggle.
“We are running out of facilities since the Surfers Paradise and Darlington Park raceways were closed, and more recently Xtreme Karting,” the National Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee said.
“The Gold Coast is a heavy motorcycling region but we don’t have proper training areas to teach.
“Small car parks where drivers can’t go much faster than 30km/h are being used for training. There’s a massive difference handling a bike at 30km/h compared to paces up to 100km/h.”
The Bulletin revealed a draft copy of the Gold Coast Road Safety Plan 2021-2026 detailed in each month since 2015 the Coast has recorded almost two fatalities, 66 serious injuries and 77 medical treatments from road incidents.
It also outlined more than a quarter of fatalities and serious injuries involving cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists.
Police figures reveal that 40 motorcyclists and one pillion passenger have lost their lives on the state’s roads in 2021 – almost 40 per cent more than the same period last year.
A Gold Coast City Council spokesperson said: “The City is not aware of this petition and as such it would be inappropriate to comment. All development applications are considered on their merit.”
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