There are concerns in the motor racing industry about the potential knock-on effects of a recent court ruling on a New South Wales racetrack.
The Land and Environment Court recently handed down a judgement that restricts the number of events that can be held at the Wakefield Park Raceway at Tirrannaville, near Goulburn.
The racetrack hosts amateur and professional races and has also been used for car testing and as a driving school.
The court proceedings arose after nearby residents made noise complaints in 2019 and the council tried to impose restrictions on a new development application lodged for some upgrades to the track.
In an appeal, the Land and Environment Court found the Wakefield Park Raceway had been in breach of its original 1993 development application and put tight restrictions on the number of days the venue could exceed certain decibel limits.
In a statement the Wakefield Park Raceway said it had immediately reduced the number of events to four per month while it worked with the Goulburn Mulwaree Council to find a solution.
Both the council and the sports club were unhappy with the ruling, which included tighter noise restraints than those originally proposed by the council.
The council and the racetrack released a joint statement stating that they were working together to keep the track viable.
Town could 'struggle to survive'
The chief executive of Motorsport Australia said it was a "catastrophic" decision that would have knock-on effects to the sport.
"Wakefield would struggle to survive, longer term, if those conditions are not reviewed," Eugene Arocca said.
Mr Arocca was also concerned about the precedent set if an established venue that had operated for nearly 30 years in a rural area could have such restrictions imposed on it.
"If we now find that a handful of property owners, nearby, in a remote area can raise a complaint about noise, it really starts to put a shudder through the whole industry," he said.
He said there was already a shortage of tracks across the country and was worried about councils approving developments near established venues.
"I'm concerned, Australia-wide, that you try and find a location that's away from homes, then council allows homes to be built within a close proximity," he said.
Revenue at risk, chief says
Mr Arocca said the state government needed to step in and support Wakefield Park, which generated millions of dollars a year in economic activity for the state.
"If you start to take Wakefield out it's going to have a flow-on effect to the whole industry," he said.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council Mayor Peter Walker said the council was determined to find a way forward because the venue was vitally important for the economy of the region.
"It is massive and it's going to affect a lot of people," Mr Walker said.
"Wakefield employ a lot of people and they do generate lots of income and we don't want to see it go away."
He said the court's decision to fall back on the old development application that had not been updated since 1993 was not beneficial to anyone.
