Calls for reopening of Melbourne's Calder Park Raceway

An online petition calling for the reopening of the Calder Park motorsport venue in south east Melbourne has gained 6,500 signatures.

A Victorian landmark owned by the late Bob Jane and known for its history of rock concerts and car races, is sitting abandoned and slowly wasting away on the outskirts of the Calder Freeway.

Sarah Allen, who started the petition on change.org, said Calder Park had the potential to be like the famed Bathurst circuit.

Allen advised "we would undoubtedly attract a lot of tourists and help stimulate our economy once again, especially since it’s fallen into dark times recently from the ongoing stress of COVID-19 which bled most businesses and people dry."

The one-mile banked Thunderdome speedway circuit was the first track outside North America to host NASCAR, but hasn’t hosted a major event since 2001, falling into disrepair.

Calder Park was also used for a couple of major concerts in its day, including Fleetwood Mac and the infamous Guns N’ Roses gig in 1993 that drew 75,000 fans and sparked a Victorian Ombudsman report.

Many of the 24,000 seats have been removed from the grandstand, while nature has overcome the rest of the stand. Much of the facility is believed to be built on mounds of old tyres and over time they’ve disintegrated, causing the grandstand to crumble and cracks to appear in the racetrack.

The 2.2 kilometre nine-turn road course was a regular feature of the Supercars Championship schedule from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, also once hosting the World Touring Car Championship and the Australian Grand Prix between 1980 and 1984.

Off street racing events were held on the drag strip until the end of 2019. The regular meets were initially put on hold in 2020 for a resurfacing of the track, then further delayed by Covid-19 and have yet to re-commence.

The petition reads “Calder Park, a Victorian landmark owned by the late Bob Jane and known for its iconic history of rock concerts and car races, is sitting abandoned and slowly wasting away on the outskirts of the Calder Freeway.

“I want to help save this respected, historical site and breathe life back into its veins. Save one of our most loved icons, don’t let it be demolished or continue to sit there.”

The complex is still owned by the Bob Jane Corporation.

A Motorsport Australia spokesman said the organisation was eager to see more permanent motorsport facilities across Australia.

The spokesman advised "while Calder Park itself has not hosted any Motorsport Australia sanctioned events for a number of years, we remain in contact with the venue owners as they consider Calder Park’s future."

A Brimbank Council spokersperson said its Experience Brimbank Visitor Strategy recognised Calder Park as a “key attraction” with potential to be developed as a multi-use venue.

Click here to view the petition.

Image: Aerial view of the Calder Park Thunderdome.