Wakefield Park responds to Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s development application approval

Wakefield Park management has advised that conditions imposed by Goulburn Mulwaree Council on the September 2020 Development Application would have a devastating impact on the raceway’s future operations.

Goulburn Mulwaree Council announced that at Council’s Extraordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday, 13th July 2021, they had approved a development application for alterations and additions to Wakefield Park.

However, in a statement released on 16th July, Dean Chapman Operations Manager, Wakefield Park Raceway advised that conditions imposed on the September 2020 Development Application (DA) at Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s Extraordinary Council Meeting on Tuesday, 13th July 2021 would have a devastating impact on Wakefield Park Raceway’s future operation.

Chapman noted “Goulburn Mulwaree Council voted to approve the DA Wakefield Park lodged in September 2020, but with conditions that drastically reduce the number of events which Wakefield Park Raceway is able to operate. The DA included improvements to existing facilities and the addition of new facilities to attract a wider audience and broaden Wakefield Park Raceway’s offering to the community.”

Chapman highlighted that “a number of the 90 conditions approved by Council are unworkable and would have a devastating impact on the Raceway’s ability to operate into the future. Not only would they severely constrain the events that can be provided to the community, they would also impose significant additional regulatory costs. These conditions are much more onerous than measures previously agreed with Council in January 2020.

“No infrastructure investment will take place until a workable new development consent is approved.

“We had already commenced a deemed refusal appeal in the Land and Environment Court of NSW before Tuesday night’s Extraordinary Council Meeting. We will proceed with that appeal.
“We strongly believe lodging an appeal is the appropriate course of action to ensure the right outcome. The conditions proposed by Council would severely limit our ability to provide the frequency and variety of events our community looks forward to every year.

“We are committed to grassroots motorsport in Australia and providing the best possible facilities for our competitors, customers, guests and spectators. We want to ensure Wakefield Park Raceway can continue to offer the best possible experience for everyone who comes here, both now and into the future.”

Council’s approved development would allow construction of a new pit lane building, a new off-road experience, ongoing use of visitor accommodation facilities, carrying out of general purpose markets 12 times a year and a number of other additions.

New facilities will consist of an additional 14 garages, space for corporate functions, race control and commentary boxes and terrace space among other additions. Water management infrastructure for the new building and off-road experience area are also part of the development application.

However, Council has also included noise limits as a condition of consent, with four different categories of noise being red, amber, green and blue. Included in the condition is a transition period over a three year period commencing 1st January 2022.

At conclusion of this period, in the year commencing 1st January 2024, Wakefield Park will be limited to 30 days per calendar year with noise not to exceed 95 decibels, and a further 100 days with noise not to exceed 85 decibels. 

Council stated that the first weekend of each month and at least one weekday each week must be a blue category weekend (noise not to exceed 75 decibels) to provide some relief for close by residents.

Wakefield Park with this consent are able to operate for 363 days of the year, with only Christmas Day & Good Friday as days the facility cannot operate.

In order to provide certainty to affected receivers with regard to actual noise levels experienced during each event category, Council also clearly outlined the noise limits which shall not be exceeded in each category at certain residences.

An events calendar is to be developed and made publicly available on the Wakefield Park Raceway’s website. This calendar needs to present a minimum of the forthcoming three month period and be colour coded using the categories Council have included in the consent.

Council outlined clearly the process for noise monitoring which must be undertaken during all events, with the monitor to be positioned at a point not less than 42metres from the edge of the track. Real time access to this data must be accessible by Council 24 hours a day.

Staff were also asked to bring a report back to Council to consider rezoning Wakefield Park as an appropriate recreational zone as part of the next LEP review.

Image courtesy of Wakefield Park Raceway