Mildura Motorsports and Community Precinct in funding wait

A new motorsport precinct was already identified as a priority for Mildura, but without a major cash injection, this potential money earner is stuck on the starting grid.

Concept plans for the Mildura Motorsports and Community Precinct.

A plan to lure big-spending visitors to Mildura with a motorsport precinct remains stuck in neutral until a funding solution being found.

Mildura Rural City Council made building a new racetrack and other motorsport facilities at Koorlong one of four priorities in its 2017 Mildura Future Ready funding strategy.

But as other projects in the strategy have moved ahead, including a new oval and indoor stadium, motorsport has been stuck on the starting grid.

Private investors were in 2018 invited to lodge an expression of interest in the project, however a serious financial backer was yet to emerge.

Stage one — including a 3km road circuit that can be expanded, a skid pan, pits and a control tower — has an estimated cost of $22 million.

Concept plans for the Mildura Motorsports and Community Precinct.

Mayor Jason Modica said the project remained a priority and the business case still applied.

Cr Modica said council was approached by a private group early last year but nothing ultimately came from it.

“It’s very much a part of Mildura Future Ready and will probably continue to be so,” he said.

“Sometimes you’ve got to be a bit patient.”

While private investors were considered a key source of funding, an investment prospectus found government money would be needed to make it viable.

“I think we’re saying either (private or government) would be nice at this stage,” Cr Modica said.

“It would nice to come from either or a mixture or both, but we’re leaving the options open because it is a big investment.”

Concept plans for the Mildura Motorsports and Community Precinct.

Among others elected to the new council last October, there were varying degrees of enthusiasm about the motorsport precinct.

Long-time advocate Glenn Milne said it should be the top priority.

Cr Milne said there were other regions, including Ballarat, eyeing off the same idea.

“It’s really pitched at car clubs, so that’s the people that are in the Ferrari car club, the Lamborghini car club, the Aston Martin car club, the Porsche car club, the GT Falcon car club,” he said.

“They stay in the best hotels and motels, they eat in the best restaurants and they spend — they go shopping.

“They may have a meeting on a Saturday or Sunday, but they’ll come for three or four days and spend their money in the towns.”

Concept plans for the Mildura Motorsports and Community Precinct.

Cr Milne said they didn’t want to drive on the same tracks each weekend and would travel, with Mildura’s weather an added bonus.

Cr Jodi Reynolds said she didn’t have a problem with the concept, noting motorsport’s strong popularity throughout the Mildura region.

But Cr Reynolds said investor involvement was important.

“The business plan that I have seen makes a very pretty picture, so it’s really interesting then that no investors have come anywhere near it,” Cr Reynolds said.

“I don’t know how to interpret that really.”

Concept plans for the Mildura Motorsports and Community Precinct.

Cr Mark Eckel backed continuing the strategic approach laid out by Future Ready and said he would like to see proactive government support.

Councillor Stefano de Pieri described himself as “a bit agnostic” about the idea, saying motorsport wasn’t one of his passions but he wasn’t against it.

“Everyone’s got their passion, that’s not something I’ve delved into, but in principle I support it,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Helen Healy said an effort by the previous council to set up a community committee to help steer the project was a worthwhile idea.