Petition to save Wakefield Park

[niZmO_Man]

On 18/03/2023 at 5:14 PM, MBS206 said:

Also, interesting, a month or so ago, Labor vowed $1 mill if re-elected to get Wakefield reopened...
The Libs/Nationals just vowed $5 million for Wakefield to reopen if they get elected...

funniest thing I've read all month

[The Bogan]

Word around Goulburn is that Wakefield will be reopening

When?

Restrictions?

[Duncan]

I haven't heard anything official, but a few things

- new owners are in

- significant earthworks underway to add earth mounds around the track to block/reduce noise

- state budget did come through with $1M handout to them

- intention to submit a new DA as they reverted to the 30 year old approval

But I haven't heard any reopening date or conditions.

In the meantime, Pheastant's Wood is still operating, but it might be too small for supercharged boats. Good for a Yaris though, you wouldn't have to lift all lap

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Someone posted this up on the Track Racers Australia FB group.

[Duncan]

Some recent local press

https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/8355481/wakefield-park-receives-promised-funding-slice-in-state-budget/

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

19 minutes ago, Duncan said:

Some recent local press

https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/8355481/wakefield-park-receives-promised-funding-slice-in-state-budget/

Probably all just realised the livelihood of Goulburn relies on Wakefield Park operating, let's be honest there's nothing else to do in Goulburn.

[MBS206]

7 hours ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

Probably all just realised the livelihood of Goulburn relies on Wakefield Park operating, let's be honest there's nothing else to do in Goulburn.

Bullshit!

 

You can do meth there too...

[r32-25t]

And reproduce 

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Wonder how the GSK gang are still strong and pumping.

These kids saw us in town before and asked me to do a burnout, I said nah but here's anti lag.

Then one of the boys said we're the GSK, I asked, what's the GSK? He replied we're the Goulburn Sik Kients and popped on his bicycle and rode off. 

True story.

[The Bogan]

I actually like Goulburn, it has that rural vibe, and in reality it isn't too far from anywhere, Sydney, Canberra, and the South Coast, whilst there are some local deadshits they typically stick to themselves in their own areas, unlike Sydney or Brisbane where the deadshits are everywhere 

The only advantage of big cities I can see is employment opportunities, but then I'm a older "gent", and have no interest in the night life scene or anything else that big cities offer, at my age I just want to spend my time in the garage cleaning cars, or in the garden growing veggies and burning meat on a BBQ, and basically annoying my family with my opinionated views of people and the world

Bang for your buck, IRT property, cannot be beat in rural areas compared to what what you get for your coin in the city areas

Goulburn is on my short list for when I retire in......

Not that I'm counting 

[Duncan]

some more coverage, this time national but only sourced from the owners

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-07/wakefield-park-closure-costing-millions-amid-reopening-plans/102943198 

anyone who thinks there has been a difference in Goulburn's economy since Wakie shut needs to put down their own crack pipe. I love having the track here and want to see it re-open, but it is about a billionth of a percent of the local spend.

 

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Doesn't the article say this though?

It's estimated the track contributed almost $17 million annually to the Goulburn economy

$17m to a tiny town is quite a bit of money for the economy.

[Duncan]

Yeah that's exactly what I mean

1. I don't know how big Goulburn economy is (I mean, I CBF researching it :rofl:), so I don't know if $17M is a lot or not

2. AFAIK $17M was invented, not sure about the credibility of the underlying research

[Duncan]

OK, I "did the research sheeple!"

Race track does not appear in the top 8 occupations, nor does motorsport or any sport in the top 5 industries:

https://abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/LGA13310

This page claims annual economy is $1.8B for Goulburn Mulwaree LCA, which makes the self claimed $17M about 1% of local activity. https://economy.id.com.au/goulburn/gross-product

Source: National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) ©2022. ©2023. Compiled and presented in economy.id by .id (informed decisions).

So not nothing, but not the end of the town...

[The Bogan]

 

[Duncan]

Good to see.

Some more coverage on Goulburn Post, target date "Early 2024"  https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/8385456/rebranded-goulburn-circuit-set-gears-up-to-resume-operations

And Speedweek https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/13/wakefield-park-set-to-reopen-as-bi-directional-circuit/

Confirming the plan to run the track in both directions; I think the kink off the back straight will seem a lot tighter going the other way, let alone the esses back down the hill to old turn 2...

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Hopefully the OG layout is still there, would be nice to see what the shit box can do now with further development.

[MBS206]

On 10/13/2023 at 5:27 PM, Duncan said:

Good to see.

Some more coverage on Goulburn Post, target date "Early 2024"  https://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/8385456/rebranded-goulburn-circuit-set-gears-up-to-resume-operations

And Speedweek https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/10/13/wakefield-park-set-to-reopen-as-bi-directional-circuit/

Confirming the plan to run the track in both directions; I think the kink off the back straight will seem a lot tighter going the other way, let alone the esses back down the hill to old turn 2...

Except they're supposedly changing turns ¹ and 2.

Also completely redoing pit entry, so I suspect the wide exit of T10 that lines you up for smashing pit wall will disappear, as they've also mentioned that as a safety issue.

 

Interestingly, and I'd love someone with more knowledge here, but my understanding is while they need to apply for council DA to be approved, the NSW State Govt still needs to approve it due to it having been kicked up the chain previously. Of which there has been zero comment about/from state govt approval.

[Duncan]

Yeah there hasn't been a lot of public fact about the exact situation with approvals, you'll notice none of those articles said they had anything new on approvals either.

I don't think there is a state govt issue, it was Land and Environment court they appealed to but that only applies on top of council's most recent approval which I don't think they intend to use.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

2 hours ago, Duncan said:

don't think there is a state govt issue, it was Land and Environment court they appealed to but that only applies on top of council's most recent approval which I don't think they intend to use.