Sydney International Speedway

The Trust is most supportive of the project and considers that the new speedway circuit, as proposed, will progress the Trust’s long term plans for growth and expansion of the Eastern Creek Motor Sports Precinct. Whilst the Trust is supportive of the project, the Trust wishes to reinforce the importance of a number of key issues, identified in the EIS, during construction and the subsequent operation of the Speedway. These key issues are outlined in the attached submission letter.

letter attched.

To whom it concerns,
With respect to the proposed speedway at Eastern Creek, please consider the following comments:

Location:
The speedway as proposed, is being squeezed into an area between the western mound adjoining the drag strip's braking area and Ferrers Rd.
The area surrounding the track is smaller than the current Parramatta site (not 'Like for like, as promised') resulting in reduced spectator capacity, inappropriate seating location, inadequate dedicated car parking (600 spaces for 7000 spectators) necessitating consecutive event scheduling to share parking and no potential for future growth.
A portion of Ferrers Rd. needs to be relocated west (see attachment) to allow the track to be moved to the west, enabling seating the length of the back straight, replacing
seating from the northern corner with a grassed mound for those brave enough to sit there, diminish dust dispersal and provide for growth.

Seating capacity and location:
The EIS indicates a planned seating capacity of 7000 (compared to Parramatta's 10000) with no prospect for growth.
Illustrations accompanying the EIS indicates 9 rows of seating along the main straight (Parramatta around 20 - see attachment), 7 rows of seating around the northern corner (Parramatta - grassed mound) and a indeterminate number of rows down a portion of the back straight.
The proposed seating is located too close to the track and ignores some realities of dirt track racing.
Speedway cars (Sprint cars in particular) spray dirt / clay into the spectator area whilst traversing corners.
Spectators want to sit at least 6-10 metres from the fence on the straights and 9-15 metres on the corners.
Perth's Motorplex Speedway (which uniquely in Australia, is located adjacent to a drag strip) has individual plastic seats along the main straight, grassed / concrete block terraced seating along the back straight (see attachments) with no spectators permitted around the corners.
The corners have screens set back from the fence.

Track layout:
Whilst the track retains Parramatta Speedway's 460 metre overall length, corner diameters have been reduced from Parramatta's 205 metres to 170 metres, requiring heavier braking approaching the corners.
The inside of the car track / outside of the motorbike track has a concrete dividing wall, unlike Perth's Motorplex which does not.

Dust control:
Dust dispersion is a reality for dirt track speedway and inevitably, dust will settle on the drag strip's braking area which will require regular cleaning.
In an email to Sydney Dragway supporters in June, the Dragway's board stated "to ensure that the Speedway operators are controlling the level of dust during events, real time dust monitors will alert the operators in advance, of when dust levels are about to exceed levels that are likely to lead to a suspension of the Speedway event. Real time dust monitors will be placed on the Speedway property, as well as Sydney Dragway. If the Speedway operator has failed to maintain dust suppression measures, if the wind is blowing in the right direction and the dust travels travels over the dust mitigation barrier, it is the real time dust monitors that determine whether a Speedway event continues or stops."
This situation is untenable and a financial threat to the Speedway operator.
Imagine if the operator attempted to run a meeting concurrently with a Dragway meeting, the dust monitor is triggered causing the event to be cancelled and he has to refund spectators and competitors.
The Perth Motorplex runs Speedway and Dragway events consecutively, never concurrently (see attachment).
Traditionally in Sydney, speedway meetings have been scheduled every Saturday night from September to May (some 45 events).
Clearly under this scenario, this isn't possible and the operators would incur revenue loss, while scheduling and sharing of parking would require compromise and agreement from managers of both venues.

Pit facilities:
Pit garages are not required - competitors have self contained trailers, containing spares and tools.
A scrutineering shed, administration building, toilet block and a medical centre are required.

Conclusion:
This speedway will be Sydney's only dirt track speedway for decades to come and needs to be properly planned and constructed, not for a potential September 2021 season opener, but something world class that can accommodate future growth.
The current Parramatta Speedway has been operating for the last 43 years.
Ferrers Rd. needs to be relocated west at the proposed speedway location, the track moved west, seating needs to be concentrated along both straights with land at the northern corner to be a grass covered mound.
Given its proximity to the Dragway, potential for disagreement and conflict between competing interests is real.
Perth Motorplex addressed this through consecutive scheduling.
When the drag racing community lost its Castlereagh facility in 1984, it was 6 years until the opening of Eastern Creek racing circuit, that championship level drag racing
could resume on the circuit's main straight.
Conflict ensued when the drag racers wanted to apply traction compound to the track's entire straight, much to the annoyance of the circuit racers.
The drag racers successfully lobbied the state government for the construction of a stand-alone Eastern Creek drag strip, which opened in 2004.
And here we are again.
Speedway Australia and the lesees of Parramatta Speedway (after being served a notice to vacate by June 2021) petitioned the state government to build a replacement speedway at The Light Horse Interchange Precinct, only to be told it was set aside for light industry with access from Ferrers Rd. - first stage approved last week, despite being zoned 'open space - never to be developed'.
The governments preferred location ? - Sydney Dragway's main spectator car park.

As “ Clerk of the Course “ at Sydney Speedway (Valvoline Raceway) for the past 11 years I have had the opportunity to observe the practical elements required to run race meetings from the infield.

My first priority is and will always be SAFETY. The following submission is based on 3 points that would make this venue a much safer place to work.

I would like to submit a proposal that an underground tunnel from the pit access road to the infield be part of the construction plans.
Looking at the plans available there is opportunity to construct this tunnel under the race track at turn one, directly beneath the dirt mound at the southern end of the main grandstand and coming back up on the infield, on the inside of the bike circuit.


1. Safe access to and from the infield for staff and officials.
2. Uninterrupted access for Ambulance, Tow Vehicles, Water Trucks etc, thereby avoiding downtime by stopping racing to access the Pit Area / Infield via Gates. In addition, avoiding the hazard of driving across and up a Track with a steep incline (camber).
3. The plan would also allow for electrical and plumbing work to utilise the tunnel.
The new Sydney Speedway could be the safest and most progressive Track in the country.

Thank you for the opportunity to make this submission.


Alan Edwards
0407 418200

Members believe this is going to be great for the Sport of Speedway but would like to see the length of the track extended.
Re; the infield motor cycle/Bike track maybe have it slightly banked, this could be used for other smaller Speedway cars e.g. Micro Sprints, Speedway Karts, GP Midgets,Formula 500s

As a life long speedway follower from my father's involvement, myself becoming an engineer, building racing vehicles to being the longest continuous speedway radio reporter in Australia, I wish to offer my suggestions regarding the new speedway in Western Sydney.
Initially I feel that it is an exceptional move with the majority of the speedway public now living within 10-15 kilometres of Eastern Creek and also the advantages of having one Motorsport precinct for all of us to enjoy, it reduces the negative comments from the naysayers as they will remain generally unaffected by any racing that goes on at the venue regardless of the type.
The pit facilities seem second to none, although I feel if you look at the numbers of competitors at some of the major meetings over the previous Three years, we may struggle to accommodate them at the venue.
My major concerns are regarding the spectator area, I have experienced speedway at every major venue in Australia and regularly throughout the United States and I am in regular contact with competitors and spectators from around the globe. The majority of spectators who view Dirt Track speedway in Australia do so as a result of being either friends or family of a competitor, and, with many of the current competitors beginning their speedway journey from this group you must agree that speedway is a "family sport".
With the projected spectator areas in the current plan looking more like the seating at a motion picture theatre, that will remove part of the excitement of the speedway experience, as speedway people love to get involved, they love to cheer for the good guys and boo at the baddies, they love to jump out of their seats with excitement and have a little space to smoulder when their favourite has missed out on a win. You cannot do this with your knees up against the back of the seat in front of you, you can't do this when you are hip to hip with a stranger, and speedway people move around....a lot. With such a small area between seating rows every-time someone gets up to go and get some food/drink/merchandise ( and that's what pays the bills), if they are squeezing in front of the more serious viewers this will generate a degree of antagonism that will once again provide the ammunition for the "I'm not going back there again" argument.
As many of the current crop of spectators have young families, the most popular place to view the races at the current racetrack at Parramatta is on turn 1, FAMILY HILL !, yes family hill, a place to take small children, spread a blanket and have a track-side picnic while watching Dad, Mum, Uncle, Cousin or even Gramps pursue their racing dream.
If anyone who has taken a small child to a venue of any sort will attest, it is almost impossible to have them sit bolt upright in a plastic chair without wanting to move around, catch up with friends eat, drink, and spill, and that's before the excitement of the racing even starts.
Then when the big day finally gets too much, on family hill they can lay down wrapped in a blanket and the rest of the family can watch the conclusion of the nights activities before picking up the sleepyheads for the walk to the car and the trip home.
The new facility has ZERO grassed viewing area for the families or even the general spectators who prefer to stand up the back of the hill. If you look at the new plans I feel the area between turns 3-4, or even part of that area, would be perfect as it allows for the people who want to sit on chairs to sit on the front straight, the drivers and crews to watch from the pits and the families to have some room for the younger ones, or the young at heart to spread out, play, watch and be entertained in a family friendly environment.
You must also take into account the flying debris, really dirt and clumps of clay,that fly off the wheels of these vehicles at high speed, and I believe you have underestimated the distance this will travel, this will diminish the ability to utilise the first three rows of seating on the turns anyway, some kids love the dirt but even if they don't they can move around to avoid it.
At Marvel stadium Melbourne, when they had they World Speedway Grand Prix, they had around ten rows of seats cordoned off to avoid spectators getting covered in dirt and dust.
If you look at arguably the best speedway facility in Australia, and possibly the world, Kwinana in Western Australia, there is plenty of room to move throughout the spectator areas and whilst I am not a fan of the track surface, the spectator area is spectacular, lots of terracing, places to take the business people or the corporate guests but plenty of places for the families to spread out without affecting any of the people around them.
At almost every speedway throughout this country there is a grassed area where the families can watch the action, Warrnambool in Victoria, Murray Bridge in South Australia and Archerfield in Queensland, even our current track at Parramatta has the famous FAMILY HILL.
Whilst the new facility has catered for the corporate guests, the people who wish to walk in, sit and watch, even the cars and crews.The one group who has been forgotten are the future of our sport, the families, as if the families get involved, the kids grow to love the sport like I did and we prosper, if the families don't want to go and watch mum and dad or their other favourite racer, the kids will stay home and play video games and what was once one of the most popular sports on the planet will wither and die.
I am more than happy to discuss my views and offer any information that I have available.
Yours Most sincerely
Jeffrey Burton
Motorsport Editor
The World on Wheels
89.3 fm 2GLF

I would like to submit the following comments and suggestions in respect to the new Sydney Speedway Project.
Parking – there appears from the project plans that insufficient parking is being allowed for – your proposal seeks to suggest that overflow parking will utilize the Dragstrip parking facility at the northern end of the complex – my question is what happens when both the Speedway and Dragstrip run on the same evening – this happens regularly as both are summertime night race arrangements.
Pit Facility - again appears that pit space is at a minimal scale for the number of competitors who use the facility. Does your project plan allow for the use of competitors who have B Double Transporters or are the numbers based on small single car trailers only.
Spectator viewing arrangements - whilst there is an expectation that up to 7,000 seats are available for the public, there is no allowance for a "family hill" type scenario. Note that the sport of Speedway is a family based one with relatively small numbers of professional competitors involved.
There is also not allowance in the plans for a viewing area for the competitors themselves.
Whilst Speedway Australia have been actively involved in the process to date, have the Project Managers sought input from other interested parties other than calling for submissions such as this.
I am a long time motorsport supporter and welcome the opportunity for the new Sydney Speedway to be produced, I am a member of the ARDC, and Speedway Association and a senior official of the NSW Karting Association.
I would also like to think that the build and all surrounds will be conducted by local western sydney suppliers, earthworks, plumbing, electrical tenders should all go to locals please.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit these thoughts and I am happy to field calls in this regards.
Best Wishes
Kim Freer

Heritage NSW response uploaded.

Hello Team

I’ll get straight to the point.

I believe there has been little thought in making this new venue family friendly. There is no where I can see throughout the virtual map of an area where myself and my family will be able to sit comfortably.

A speedway experience/ race meet last from 4 to 7 hours (from arriving with the racers and sitting in “the hill” before racing commences to the end of a show approx 10:30). I’ll ask- have you tried to sit in stadium seats with 3 kids under 6 for 7 hours? A family hill is where this kids can be not as restricted to seating as in your map shows, stadium seating only.

Getting rid of some stadium seating for a family hill may also be cost effective during the construction also.

I myself have been in this sport for approx 28 years. From a spectator as a child, to bringing my own family to race meets and also working at Sydney Speedway as assistant event coordinator- we as a community wish for the best and most functional race way.

Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Stacey Moreau

I support the project but attach comments on aspects from my perspective as a spectator, participant and NSW resident/taxpayer.

Please find Council's response attached to SSI 10048. Thanks.

Planning team,
Please find attached the submission on behalf of the Australian Lightning Sprints Association and our affiliated clubs, in particular the NSW Litre Sprintcar Association.

I have posted our written submission as directed by express post today. I trust this will assist you in accepting the submission should there be any delay in the postage process.

We would welcome further discussions at anytime and confirm mobile phone contact is the preferred method of contact.

Kindest Regards

Pete Styles
ALSA President

Submission attached

Please refer to the attachment enclosed.

Please find attached WaterNSW response.

Heritage NSW have reviewed the Aboriginal cultural heritage *ACH) component of the EIS and agree with the recommendations therein. We support all of the recommendations and consider that, from an ACH perspective, approval can be given to proceed in accordance with the recommendations in the EIS ACH assessment for further ACH management and consultation.
For more information please contact Heritage NSW archaeologist Roger Mehr on 04 5907 5354 or at [email protected]

Please see attachment