Brian Rudman: Speedway plan needs all our leaders to get behind the wheel

Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis is on to a winner with his idea of a motorsport venue out in the wop-wops by the airport. But why doesn't he do something, instead of just talk about it.

I got quite excited yesterday with his latest plans to develop a 61ha, council-owned block adjacent to Puhinui Reserve as the new home for Auckland speedway and other car racing events.

"There is a tremendous opportunity in the Auckland region to bring all the activities of motorsport together," he said, adding that Manukau City didn't just have the land, "we have the vision and political fortitude to make things happen".

But it quickly became clear that while the vision was there aplenty, the political fortitude was not so apparent. Instead of announcing an action plan, a senior official was immediately dousing the mayor's dream with cold water, saying he didn't expect much progress in the near future.

Indeed the Sir Barry Curtis memorial motorsport centre doesn't seem any further ahead than in December 2004 when Sir Barry rang me to promote it as an alternative to Western Springs. That was after some Westies had jumped in with the idea of converting Whenuapai air base.

Of course in this seven-headed region we all call home, achieving a united voice - let alone joint action - is a rare affair. But the new motorsport park is such a commonsense solution to the intractable problem of the existing speedway, you would have thought Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard would have embraced Sir Barry's alternative and been encouraging him in every way. .

Instead, Auckland City is spending vast amounts on lawyers and investigations, trying to keep the speedway at its historic inner-city venue. This despite the bylaw-breaking levels of noise it inflicts on residential neighbours.

I've long considered the Mayoral Forum as about as useful as tits on the proverbial bull. Its recent sun-addled decision calling for an extra toll on Auckland road-users only reinforced this belief.

It's wishful thinking, I know, but I might develop a less jaundiced view if the seven mayors and the regional council chairman, could, from time to time, think regionally and reach a consensus on Auckland-wide issues. Such as a site for a much-needed new motorsport venue.

Of course any decision would have to go back to councils for ratification. But it would have been a step in the right direction. Who knows, in a spirit of goodwill, Auckland City might even be willing to contribute financially to the move to the new park, in return for freeing up Western Springs for more appropriate inner-city activities.

Unfortunately, instead of encouraging Sir Barry, Mayor Hubbard et al are pouring vast amounts of ratepayers cash down the drain trying to prolong the speedway's time at the Springs. By last October, the council had already spent around $100,000 in legal fees battling local residents who had legitimately complained that, for nearly 10 years, Auckland City had failed to enforce its own noise limits.

An expensive Environment Court battle still looms. In the meantime, council has appointed Peter Salmon QC as a commissioner to inquire into the environmental effects of the Western Springs speedway. Public submissions close on February 10 and his report is due by mid-May.

Ratepayers are also paying towards the residents' expert costs and for investigations into such noise attenuation measures as double glazing and forced ventilation.

Of course the simplest and most effective noise attenuation measure would be to shift the speedway to Puhinui. That would be the perfect response to the section 16 requirement of the Resource Management Act that the occupiers "adopt the best practicable option to ensure that the emission of noise does not exceed a reasonable level ..".

On January 20, one midget race at Western Springs exceeded the agreed 90 decibels maximum by one decibel. Auckland City, as land owner, and the promoter were fined $1000 for the breach. This, when the operators were on their best behaviour and trying hard. It doesn't bode well.

Sir Barry has a solution. It's a good one. But it needs some of that "political fortitude" he brags about. And not just from Manukau City.