WAKEFIELD PARK - NSW

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Geopug2

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A rather predictable but disappointing response from the Planning Minister to the "Save Wakefield Park" motorsports complex e-petition...


Basically (as expected) the Minister can't and won't over ride a decision of the NSW Land and Environment Court and he understands talks are underway between the Goulburn-Mulwaree Shire Council and the complex owners.

So let's hope the Council and the proponents can come to some agreement.
 
He's unlikely to win Goulburn, so he's either interested in motor sport, or hopes large numbers are elsewhere. It would need planning changes as was said.
 
baldrick56 said:
A little bit of further development today - its maybe going to get "political."

ABC News Wakefield Park
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Good to see that something is being done, even if we have to wait to the next election. Would be a real shame to loose a facility such as this.
 
It would be really cool if they intervened but my mediocre experience working in local government has me quite sceptical. I used to live easily 10km from Oran Park and could hear the track days quite clearly from my old house, unfortunately even with all the noise restrictions, sound just travels a long way when there isn't either other noise or a barrier to kill it. Combined with the real estate bonanza of the last couple years, I dare say houses will probably win this one...
 
Unless the state deems it to be state significant development, which it could be if the dollar value meets a requirement, then its screw the Council deal direct with the state government. But...I'm sure they new that to begin with which is why they went with trying to get a Council approval
 
It’s almost in the middle of nowhere. Hard to get mcuh more remote within a reasonable distance from civilisation.
 
It's a long way from town, but the noise travels many miles. If I lived there I would not be happy, particularly as the original development approval had noise provisions. It was disregard of the conditions that got them into strife when things finished up in court.

Unless it finishes up as state significant there will be new conditions of some sort.
 
I wonder How many metres of trees does one need to insulate things?
 
More than a forest. If motor racing doesn't adopt electric vehicles it might have to use mufflers.
 
I dont think any noise barrier would be capable of getting the noise level down to where it needs to be to comply, 40dB is nothing. If a car drove out the front of your house in a quiet residential street it would be 55-60dB. Unless the background noise levels they need to comply with are reduced it just wont be possible without erecting a bubble over the track!
 
seasink said:
More than a forest. If motor racing doesn't adopt electric vehicles it might have to use mufflers.
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It already does. Previously there were only a few 95dB days, more 90dB days and lots of 85dB days.
 
seasink said:
It's a long way from town, but the noise travels many miles. If I lived there I would not be happy, particularly as the original development approval had noise provisions. It was disregard of the conditions that got them into strife when things finished up in court.

Unless it finishes up as state significant there will be new conditions of some sort.
Click to expand...
And yet bathurst continues on with residents living not only on the track but very close around it

Sadly it's got more to do with development than noise but noise will be used until the developers get their hands on it
 
Noise will still be an issue if it's ends up being state significant, it's just the State has more of a history of not giving a rats about a few locals than local councils. It really doesn't matter how rural or remote the track is, ultimately you still are going to have neighbours...One of the specific complaints in the case was about the drift cars skidding noise, which I have to say, that would give me the shits after a while.

Not that I'm one to defend the noble developers of the world but the farm land owners/land owners aren't exactly innocent. The rate at which old agricultural land is being redeveloped even as rural residential lots around the major towns & cities, particularly along the hume corridor is unreal. Farming is just hard work and making a killing on selling your land to retire is quite attractive to some who dont have plans to continue on
 
Mt Panorama has been used since 1938. Long before the neighbours and noise and environment legislation.
 
There are numerous noise and operating conditions for Mt Panorama. Apparently, unlike Wakefield Park, the operators usually comply with the operating conditions. The operating conditions for race facilities such as SMSP (Eastern Creek) include the nature of events, number of events, noise levels and much more. These conditions also apply to Sydney Dragway.

Mt Panorama also has to comply with specific legislation under the Mount Panorama Act which goes back many years. Among various conditions there are also residents rights and responsibilities related to the use of the track which is a public road.
 
When I lived there and was part of BLCC, the council could only completely close the circuit a very limited number of days per year; and even then had to provide access for residents. BLCC used to run events that used the road (as opposed to motorkhanas or other events in the parks or on access roads) maybe once per month at most (every 2nd month more likely). On those events, only part of the circuit was closed - hillclimb up either side; flying 1/5th on conrod, or standing 1/5th on the main straight etc.

I think they ran some form of supersprint recently, but not back in my time.

KB
 
Perhaps part of the solution for Wakefield Park would be to use quieter electric vehicles for some non racing activities like corporate track days. And it won’t be too many years before electric car racing becomes more popular, helping resolve noise issues.
 
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