Go-kart track DA should be refused, but councillors might put up a fight

The development application (DA) for the track, proposed for a vacant site between College Road and Conrod Straight, is on the agenda for determination at the June 19, 2024 council meeting.

Bathurst council staff, after considering feedback from independent assessor Outline Planning Consultants, have recommended not to approve the DA, citing a long list of reasons.

At the top of that list: "the site is not suitable for the project."

Council staff, in their recommendation, also say that the project is too close to residential areas in South Bathurst and to rural residences in the surrounding area.

There would be "unacceptable noise and amenity impacts" for those residents, along with cumulative noise impacts, as a result of the project.

The council staff also said the project would have "unacceptable visual impacts" for the two nearest College Road residences.

Finally, the council staff say the project "is not in the public interest", the same conclusion Outline Planning Consultants came to in its findings.

Outline Planning's primary reason for recommending refusal is the level of noise anticipated to be generated from the go-kart track when it's operational.

In addition to that, it said "no amount of mitigation measures can overcome the cumulative noise impacts" that have been predicted.

Based on the noise tables in the acoustic assessment, there are 220 rural and urban receivers predicted to be subject to noise levels in excess of the intrusiveness noise trigger level of 40dB(A) LAeq 15min.

"Outline Planning Consultants are of the opinion that the application should be refused, principally on grounds of excessive noise and adverse amenity impacts," the consultants said.

"The proposed go-kart development is simply too close to residential areas and to rural residences in the neighbourhood.

"Outline Planning Consultants is not satisfied that the impacts of the proposed go-kart track development and issues raised by objectors can be adequately managed by way of the issue of a consent and the imposition of consent conditions."

The consultant notes that the DA could be approved despite its recommendations, but significant steps would have to be taken.

Those steps could be extremely costly for the council, which is currently in a difficult financial position.

"If, in the event that council does not accept our findings and decides to approve the proposed go-kart facility, a consent condition will need to be imposed that provides for the purchase of more severely affected residences, if requested by the owners, in addition to the imposition of other noise mitigation strategies including the implementation of a Noise Management Plan," Outline Planning Consultants said.

The council staff have expressed concern about councillors substituting a resolution different to what they have provided in the business papers.

They said this "should not be done lightly and without proper regard to the assessment provided to council".

Historically, the go-kart track project has had enough support in the chamber to progress forward despite its many hurdles.

The Western Advocate contacted the current councillors who have consistently supported the project to see how the recommendations from the council staff and the consultants might influence their decision.

Of those councillors, the Western Advocate received comments from Graeme Hanger, Ben Fry and Robert Taylor.

Cr Hanger said he is re-reading the recommendation and will "give it some deep thought" before making up his mind.

Deputy mayor Ben Fry said it is "time for us to face the music", indicating he would support the recommendations not to approve the DA.

"To have an independent assessor objectively tell you absolutely not, and then for a director of planning, who is our officer we rely on, to double down on that opinion, it is resounding enough to make anybody who votes against the current recommendation look pretty silly," he said.

Cr Taylor, though, is considering action that could stop the DA being knocked back at the June 19 meeting.

Those options include potential motions to either approve or defer the DA, but he said he has not made up his mind as yet.

He will decide sometime on Wednesday ahead of the council meeting, saying he planned to discuss the options with other councillors first.

Cr Taylor said he has found "flaws" in the findings from Outline Planning Consultants and questioned whether they were suitable consultants for the independent assessment of the DA.

"You'd get a motor sport specialist in to do the consultancy, not the consultants that they've got in," he said.

Despite the recommendations from Outline Planning Consultants and the council's own staff, Cr Taylor still thinks it is possible for the go-kart track to go ahead at the proposed site adjacent to Conrod Straight.

"It is still possible, yes," he said.

"It is in the motor sport precinct, and us as councillors, in our community strategy, are to promote motor sport in the Mount Panorama precinct at all times.

"Go-karting is a motor sport."

He also said concerns raised in public submissions regarding the cost of the project have been addressed now that the Bathurst Kart Club has offered to secure funding for stage one works itself.

"This would cost the ratepayers absolutely nothing, because they will fund it themselves," Cr Taylor said.

He acknowledged the concerns about noise, but reiterated that the site was in a motor sport precinct and said that go-karts are "a lot quieter" than car racing on the Mount Panorama Circuit.

"And there is the opportunity to go to electric karts, which I know the kart club are definitely looking at," he said.

While Cr Taylor says the karts would be quieter, Outline Planning Consults said some residences will experience much higher noise levels from the proposed go-kart development than what is currently experienced during a typical motor sport event at Mount Panorama.