COUNCILLOR Marg Hogan has revealed the wheels were already in motion to attempt to redirect money away from the go-kart track project before Bathurst council received a surprising letter from the kart club.
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On Wednesday, June 5, Bathurst Kart Club sent a letter to the council and all councillors requesting the development application (DA) for the go-kart track be deferred to March, 2025.
The letter also rejected the remaining loan funds the council had sourced for the project, with the club asking for that money to be used for the provision of vital services.
The request was made in light of the council's unsustainable financial position.
But Cr Hogan, who had no inkling the letter was coming, was already planning to make a similar request.
She had drafted a notice of motion to the June 19, 2024 meeting, the same meeting the go-kart track DA is set to be considered at, recommending that council redirect all unspent money from that $2.25 million loan to "higher priority capital infrastructure projects".
"It's been brewing for a while," she said of the motion.
"I've, over the past couple of months, been doing quite a lot of work to understand council's financial situation and share it with the community and the chamber.
"We're looking for money wherever we can, and this is one place that I felt we could divert money from to higher priority projects."
![The location of the proposed go-kart track on a map and councillor Marg Hogan (inset). The location of the proposed go-kart track on a map and councillor Marg Hogan (inset).](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gfyFBZ2A3aREPWrpf4KzA3/8e0cdfde-96eb-48e9-ac42-a2140c7da40c.png/r0_0_4176_2784_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
She said she was "very pleased" when she read the contents of the kart club's letter.
"I'd like to think that some of the conversations that we've been having internally and in the chamber have been hitting their mark with the community and with the other councillors, and that the seriousness of council's current financial situation has made the go-kart club look seriously at that loan," Cr Hogan said.
"I'm very pleased to see they've done that of their own volition."
Forging ahead with motion
The letter will not affect the notice of motion, which Cr Hogan said she still plans to lodge for the June 19 meeting.
She also sees no need to amend the wording of her motion.
She believes the best use of the remaining loan funds is to direct it to higher priority infrastructure, but she has not put forward any specific projects to be the recipients.
"I think that's a discussion for council to have," she said.
"I've got thoughts, but I'll wait to discuss those with the other councillors."
Hogan agrees with club's funding plan
Cr Hogan understands that the go-kart track DA will still be on the agenda for the June 19 meeting, regardless of the letter.
Cr Warren Aubin has requested that the letter be a separate item it the report on the DA in the business papers that night.
According to Cr Hogan, the independent assessor who has been looking at the DA has returned their findings and recommendations to the council, but she is not aware of what those are at this time.
It is likely the letter from the kart club will factor heavily into whatever decision the council makes on the night, as will the recommendations from council staff.
The kart club's letter also laid out a funding plan for the proposed go-kart track.
The club is prepared to commit to self-securing funding for 100 per cent of the stage one expenses of the project.
To do this, the club would seek grants, sponsorship and donations, as well as conduct general fundraising.
Cr Hogan said it was "appropriate" for the club to secure the funding itself.
"There have been countless hours of staff time go to the go-kart club, particularly within the engineering department with design and changes," she said.
"I think it's appropriate that they start to look at finding some funding themselves now."