Western Springs speedway spat: Dispute over races' future accelerating, but what does the future hold?

Thursday, 7 March 2019

Auckland's Western Springs Stadium is at a crossroads, and negotiations over its future are starting to get ugly.

After 90 years, speedway's time at its spiritual home appears to be up.

Regional Facilities Auckland (RFA) says it will not extend the sport's stay beyond March 31.

This decision has turned talks between the sport and Auckland Council sour.

The future of Speedway at Western Springs still hasn't been decided, despite being granted a temporary reprieve in March this year (this video was produced prior to the extension of the lease).

* Western Springs Speedway vows to 'fight' for its future**

*** Auckland's stadium woes: Secret council presentation paints grim picture of stadium network

* Auckland mayor questions move to defer controversial Western Springs speedway relocation**

THE SPEEDWAY SPAT

To understand why Western Springs Stadium is now at the centre of a stand-off between petrol heads and the establishment, you need to look at the events of the last nine months.

Last June, a now-expired memorandum of understanding between Springs Promotions Ltd (SPL), RFA and Auckland Council, agreed speedway would move from Western Springs to Colin Dale Motorsport Park in Wiri, south Auckland.

But the road to Wiri was blocked last November, when Auckland councillors voted to put speedway's move to Colin Dale on ice until a refresh of Auckland's wider stadium strategy.

RFA has its sights set on hosting a Boxing Day test during the 2020 to 2021 season.

Councillors are yet to re-consider speedway's move to south Auckland – that vote would not take place until the Finance and Performance Committee's meeting in April this year.

Meanwhile, RFA on Tuesday told Stuff speedway would be thrown out of Western Springs at the end of March – a decision SPL claimed to have first caught wind of through the media.

'RFA will not be providing any extension for speedway events at the venue, post this date,' Auckland Stadiums venue development strategy director Paul Nisbet said.

Barry Butterworth celebrates a race win at Springs Speedway during a meet back in November 1977.

Essentially, the professional sport will be homeless just over 20 days from now.

And even if councillors were to approve a move to Colin Dale Park, it could be years before the necessary facilities were built there.

Auckland Council officers have said a 'basic design' at the south Auckland track would cost $11.7 million.

Other, more expensive designs included a functional design of $20m and a 'complete' design of $30m.

Colin Dale Park identified as new home for Speedway in Auckland.

RFA and Auckland Council's handling of speedway's exit has now resulted in a backlash from SPL.

On Wednesday, director Bill Buckley sent the council's power players – including chief executive Steven Town and Mayor Phil Goff – an abrupt message: 'We are now demanding to remain at Western Springs until a permanent solution can be found.'

THE ROAD AHEAD

As it stands, speedway does not have a future at Western Springs beyond March 31.

With speedway out, RFA would turn its attention to building a new home for New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

A copy of RFA's refreshed Venue Development Strategy (VDS), obtained by Stuff, showed the $91m cricket complex would also support AFL, concerts and festivals.

'New Zealand Cricket would maintain a high performance facility at a Western Springs Cricket Ground,' RFA reported.

'Community clubs and schools would also have access to these high-quality sports turf fields and related facilities.'

And while speedway would be removed from the venue, Ponsonby Rugby looked set to survive the changes and remain at its traditional home.

Butterworth holds out American Mel Kenyon during the 30-lap world championship at Western Springs back in January 1974.

The VDS stated Western Springs' outer fields would be fully drained and irrigated 'to more than double' the club's usage.

Western Springs Stadium may not look like this much longer - Regional Facilities Auckland plans to replace the dirt track with a boundary rope.

BOXING DAY TEST 2020?

RFA's new strategy clearly favoured paying NZC's way into Western Springs: 'Providing a fit-for-purpose solution for cricket, in the form of the Western Springs Cricket Ground, would be the first key step in developing fit-for-purpose sports stadiums in Auckland.'

A refreshed VDS showed the organisation was already setting its sights on hosting a Boxing Day test during the 2020-2021 season.

Additionally, NZC and Auckland Cricket had indicated interest in creating indoor training facilities at Western Springs.

And by the rejigged complex's fifth year in operation, RFA claimed it would have more than doubled the stadium's current annual patronage.

'It is projected that the Western Springs Cricket Ground would host an annual average of 109 stadium event days across both the main stadium and outer fields and a further 72 function event days,' the VDS stated.

'Combined, these would draw in excess of 300,000 visitors per annum.

'This compares to approximately 130,000 visitors to Western Springs in FY17 and highlights the significant improvement in utilisation that could be achieved through the proposed development.'

The report estimated a tourism spend of $19m per year when the Western Springs Cricket Ground was completed.

'The cost of redevelopment, which is proposed to be staged over seven years between FY19-FY25, is estimated at $91 million.

'This is $77 million higher than the do-nothing scenario for Western Springs Stadium.'