Toowoomba MP Garth Hamilton defends LNP’s $10m promise to rival motorsport facility, as Wellcamp precinct waits on funds

While Toowoomba’s motorsport and entertainment precinct waits on federal funding to get going, the LNP has instead given $10m to a similar project in a marginal seat. Groom’s MP has defended the decision.

Groom MP Garth Hamilton has been forced to defend his party’s decision not to promise funding towards a planned $170m motorsport precinct at Toowoomba, after the LNP pledged $10m towards a similar project in a marginal seat.

The Wellcamp Entertainment precinct, which is being proposed by the powerful Wagner family, still needs $40m in funding from the federal government.

Instead, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce revealed last week the Coalition would contribute a third of the funds needed for a $30m motorsports complex outside Rockhampton.

The city’s electorate Capricornia is held by the LNP but has featured a Labor MP as recently as 2013.

Mr Hamilton said the Central Queensland Motorsports Complex received the funding because it was controlled by the local council and was heavily tied to a not-for-profit organisation.

At a basic level, it’s more comparable to the Railway Parklands (in Toowoomba) because it’s being delivered by the council and tied closely with a not-for-profit,” he said.

“It’s got a key focus on community events, so that’s the clear demonstration of public good.

“(With Wellcamp), it’s still those issues we had on the city deal, about it having a private ownership model and for ticketed events.”

Mr Hamilton said the decision had nothing to do with the marginal status of Capricornia.

Mr Wagner, who has been critical of Mr Hamilton around the project, accused the MP of not doing enough to secure a funding commitment.

“Garth can say all those things because he’s got no idea — the reason that Rocky got it is because it’s a marginal seat,” he said.

“If Groom was a marginal seat, we’d have more local attention and if we had a local member who could get the attention of the government this could be funded.

“The people that are going to suffer are all the mums and dads in Groom, the small businesses and all the rest of them.

“I can’t for the life of me understand why he wouldn’t support this project and get the funding organised in this election.”

Mr Wagner said he would not be donating to any candidate’s campaign during the election.

“We don’t donate to anyone, to either side of politics,” he said.

Mr Hamilton’s Labor opponent Gen Allpass said the LNP was playing politics with the Wellcamp Entertainment Precinct.

“Garth has come out from the start being negative of progress in our community,” she said.

“The next government will need to look at the clear benefits for our community from this project.”

Originally published as Toowoomba MP Garth Hamilton defends LNP’s $10m promise to rival motorsport facility, as Wellcamp precinct waits on funds