A PROPOSED amendment to defer the $3.78 million motorsport complex on Wokolena Road added fuel to the heated debate before councillors tonight overturned it and gave the development the green light.
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Almost 100 people from the motorsport industry in favour of the privately funded development and local farmers against it attended the council meeting that heard debate on proposed amendments to the 76 conditions before a decision was reached almost three hours later.
Councillors Rod Kendall, Andrew Negline, Yvonne Braid, Alan Brown, Greg Conkey, Garry Hiscock, Julian McLaren and Kerry Pascoe voted in favour of the development, while Paul Funnell, Kevin Poynter and Dallas Tout voted against the recommendation.
Mick Neason and Phil Andrea's (operating under A N Aviation Wagga) proposal to council three years ago to develop a 2.6km race track on a Wokolena Road 85-hectare block off the Sturt Highway was met with concerns from local landholders about the condition of the road, noise, waste and the implications it could have on the water supply and farming.
Tonight's meeting heard the three changes included in the motion in conditions four, five and seven, related to traffic, fire and noise.
Councillor Poynter put forward an alternative recommendation to defer consideration of the development application and seek legal advice to clarify zone objectives when granting approval and on the permissibility of activites in that zone.
Councillor Funnell shared his concerns that zones were open to interpretation.
"We still don't have conclusive evidence one way or the other," Cr Funnell said.
"In all fairness to all parties, in my opinion, it needs to be deferred."
Councillor McLaren opposed the ammendment and told the meeting legal advice would only extend the debate with the potential to create more confusion.
Councillors Brown, Funnell, Hiscock, Poynter and Tout voted to move the ammendment, while councillors Braid, Conkey, McLaren, Negline, Pascoe and Kendall were against.
Councillor Hiscock proposed an ammendment to condition 23 to allow entry and access to Wokolena Road from both the east and west intersections of Wokolena Road and the Sturt Highway to allow the local farming community right of access.
All councillors voted to carry the ammendment with the exception of mayor Rod Kendall.
Councillors then voted to pass Cr Negline's ammendment to conditions 50, 51 and 52 that demanded Wokolena Road be upgraded prior to the construction of the complex.
The meeting heard the proponents were not allowed to exceed the baseline noise level of five decibels across their 50 events.
