Kerre Woodham: Reason gets race on track

Oh, the joy of reason and compromise!

Promoters of Western Springs Speedway, the Auckland City Council and representatives of the small group of agitators who want to shut down the speedway, have come up with an interim plan that will allow the speedway to go ahead this summer, albeit with restrictions - there is to be one race-free weekend per month and no racing on Waitangi Day and Auckland Anniversary Weekend.

The lawyer for the agitators says the compromise shows they're good people, really, who don't want to see the speedway shut down.

Actually, one of the group is on record as saying that's exactly what he wants, but this is no time to be dwelling on the negative.

Let's just be grateful that reason has prevailed - up to a point.

Now it's time for me and everyone else who supported the right of the speedway to exist, to front up. I live just down the road from the Springs and I have yet to go to any speedway nights. But by crikey, I will now. Or at the very least I'll buy a season ticket as a gesture of goodwill to help facilitate the long-term survival of the speedway (they cost $250 for an adult and $90 for a child).

And given that Don Brash used the speedway to help win votes during the election, I'm hoping he'll do the same.

Well done to the city council for helping broker this agreement, well done to the promoters for not just going belly-up and giving in, and yes, OK, well done to the group of residents.

With this kind of co-operation, who knows? We might see a street race yet.