THE go-kart track will not be built adjacent to Conrod Straight, which has freed up a $2 million loan to use on another project.
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Bathurst Regional Council took out the $2.25 loan specifically for a go-kart track following a contentious decision in October, 2020.
Some of that money has been used to advance the project, with $2,050,049 remaining as of May, 2024.
The decision not to approve a development application (DA) for the go-kart track was made on June 19, 2024.
![Councillors vote not to approve the go-kart track development application at the June 19, 2024 meeting. Picture by James Arrow Councillors vote not to approve the go-kart track development application at the June 19, 2024 meeting. Picture by James Arrow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/gfyFBZ2A3aREPWrpf4KzA3/f1c11512-12bd-471d-82d6-1057c5d7c508.jpg/r0_0_5132_2882_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
That same night, the council also considered a separate report on redirecting the loan money away from that project.
The report was not on the agenda in anticipation of the DA determination, but rather because the Bathurst Kart Club had written to the council in early June requesting the money be used elsewhere.
In the letter, which also requested a decision on the DA be deferred, the club committed to self-secure funding for all of the stage one expenses to free up that loan money for vital services.
"The BKC cannot, in good faith, expect any further financial support from the council given the extreme nature of this financial stress," club president Mark Dunbar said.
That leaves the council with a decision to make about the loan money.
Councillors will have a closed-door working party to discuss what project, or projects, could receive funding from the loan.
This would occur prior to a report being prepared for a future council meeting to formally make that decision.
The decision will likely come prior to the council entering caretaker mode ahead of the September local government elections.
Cr Marg Hogan had prepared a notice of motion for the June 19 meeting to reallocate the loan money, but as the matter had largely been dealt with through the specific go-kart track loan report, she withdrew her motion at the last moment.
She had asked for the money to be allocated to "higher priority capital infrastructure", but had not named any specific projects.