Western Springs speedway: Announcement expected on track's future

Thursday, 14 March 2019

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).

An agreement is being finalised on Thursday that's expected to secure the future of speedway in Auckland beyond Saturday's season finale.

No details are being released but Stuff understands talks have centred on extending the sport's presence, perhaps briefly, at its traditional home of 90 years at Western Springs stadium.

Auckland Council, its venue agency Regional Facilities Auckland, and the speedway promoter met on Wednesday as the sport came within days of becoming homeless.

Western Springs stadium draws big crowds to its speedway events.

Speedway's longer-term future seems certain at south Auckland's Colin Dale Park motorsport hub, but that plan ran aground late last year.

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

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

Discussions have involved the chair of the council's Finance and Performance committee Ross Clow and speedway promoter Bill Buckley, along with RFA's CEO Chris Brooks and its chair Andrew Barnes.

Speedway's promoters have known since 2012 that their sport didn't figure in long-term plans for Western Springs, and got a final two-year extension of their lease in 2016.

Various alternatives had been explored and seemingly settled, but the most recent option was scuttled by councillors who in November voted to hold-off on a plan to develop a new venue at the Colin Dale Park motorsport hub, in south Auckland.

This week, the Auckland Stock and Saloon Car Club's offer to host speedway at its Waikaraka Park track, appeared to be snubbed by Buckley.

'We are extremely confident we can provide a home for all speedway racing competitors and all the fans at a fraction of the cost being contemplated to build a new facility for the few in a place the fans will find difficult to support,' said ASSCC's president Frank Irvine.

'With 35 consented events annually, as opposed to the mere 12 available at Western Springs, Waikaraka Park could easily accommodate the additional competitors,' he said.

Mayor Phil Goff has taken no part in the latest talks, but previously backed the plan to move speedway, and to invest up to $19 million in Colin Dale Park, for speedway and other facilities.

'Why wouldn't you move the speedway to an area where there were no neighbours to bother, where they had the opportunity to expand and where they had brand new facilities that were tailor-made to their needs?' he said.

Until Wednesday's talks RFA's stance was that speedway's lease would not be revived once it expired, and the agency would begin upgrading amenities at the stadium in the short-term, for a bigger programme of events and concerts next summer, without the 12 speedway meetings allowed under planning rules.

Speedway began at Western Springs with motorbikes in 1929, and cars eight years later, and became the country's biggest speedway venue with promoters in the late 1970s claiming crowds of up to 50,000 for international events.

The venue sits alongside increasingly valuable residential properties, and has had progressively tighter planning and noise restrictions imposed over the years.