Race track hits road block

DEVELOPERS of the proposed Riverina Motor Complex fear the entire project could be derailed by the condition of a Wagga City Council (WWCC) road.

The section of the old Sturt Highway leading into the Wokolena Road site is a notorious blackspot for motorists and is among a list of reasons being used by protestors to rally against the development.

The application for the complex was put to WWCC at the end of 2011 and has seemingly hit a wall.

Developer Mick Neason met with council in December where he was told an additional noise test and fauna report would be required before the application could go any further.

He was quick to point out to council the extra tests may prove pointless if the road leading into the complex was not made suitable for heavier traffic.

"People are saying the road the old highway isn't good enough and it's dangerous to build along it," Neason said.

"They are saying it needs widening but not at the ratepayers' expense.

"We said to council 'you have got issues as well ... it's not our road and it should be kept in a better condition, anyway'.

"It seems like (WWCC) are delaying the decision.

"To do this noise test and fauna report is going to cost us an extra $20,000 and we don't want to do it then have the whole (application) killed on the condition of this road."

Neason says he put to WWCC the idea of reducing the speed limit on the road rather than upgrading it.

"You wouldn't get 10 vehicles a day down that road, but it is probably two metres narrower than it should be," he said.

"All you have to do is drop the speed limit to 80 or even 60km/h."

A council spokesman yesterday said the condition of the road would become a factor only once the development had been approved.

"We are waiting on additional information and until we receive that information we can't assess the application," the spokesman said.

The complex developers have received a shot in the arm by the news Honda Australia and the NRMA have both shown interest in using the driver training facility proposed for the site.

The training centre will be coupled with a state-of-the-art race track in the multi-million dollar complex.