NOISE, pollution and safety are all on the minds of residents living near the site for a proposed multimillion- dollar racetrack to the east of Wagga.
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The development application and plans for the Riverina Motor Complex went on display at Wagga City Council chambers last week and many locals were there, ready to cast an eye over Wagga’s “big thing”.
The three-stage project proposes a championship-standard speedway built on a property off Wokolena Road, which will encompass a driver training centre.
The complex will have the capacity to host up to 5000 spectators, and could be the home of major national and regional racing events according to the Riverina Motor Complex committee.
East Wagga farmer Lachlan Harris does not see the plans in the same light.
He says he is not alone in feeling organisers have turned a blind eye to a number of important factors.
“We are concerned (the Riverina Motor Complex committee) hasn’t covered all bases,” Mr Harris said.
“We don’t really want the plans to go ahead if they have potentially cut corners in the design.
“We aren’t just a bunch of whinging farmers, we are just concerned this is not an appropriate area to build a great big racetrack.”
Mr Harris says the old section of the Hume Highway – which the track will run off – was closed for a reason and is concerned extra traffic along it will not end well.
“It is a dangerous road, and fixing it will be a serious investment,” he said.
“It is already a shocker of a road and if there is a lot of equipment driving along it while they’re building this track, it’s only going to get worse.”
Mr Harris is worried waste omitted during the building process and when the track is being used will run off into the river, or pollute neighbouring paddocks.
He also says several people living nearby are concerned about noise levels.
Riverina Motor Complex committee chairman Daryl Day met with a group of residents last week to discuss these issues and concerns, but Mr Harris said a lot of questions were left unanswered.
