Rotorua car enthusiast says reopening Ngongotaha Motorsport will clean up the streets

A controversial motorsports park could roar back into life but there could be some hurdles to overcome in order to make this happen.

Leon Khan (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto) first built a concrete skid pad on private whānau-owned whenua, about 18km northwest of Rotorua, in 2015.

He let close friends and family use the skid pad, but word got around, so he opened up Ngongotaha Motorsport to the public.

Five complaints, issues with resource consent and an eventual Environment Court case led to its closure in 2018.

Now Khan is trying to reopen the facility. He made a change.org petition to rally support just over a month ago and it had over 3600 signatures on the afternoon of December 21.

Khan said he safely hosted about 50 events over the two-year period with no accidents or incidents. Some events were family-friendly birthday bashes, and one was a fundraiser to support a Rotorua child with a rare brain disorder in 2017.

Commenters on the petition say the facility is a “huge asset,” something the car community is “crying out” for and would create a safe space for motorsport.

Leon Khan at the skid pad, formerly Ngongotaha Motorsport. Photo / Tamara Poi-Ngawhika

However, Rotorua Lakes Council and Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency say Khan’s skid pad must be compliant before it reopens.

Khan said the idea for the facility came from his experience tearing up the streets of Rotorua in his youth.

He said his dad wanted to get him and his friends off the streets because they were “wrecking roads” and causing a “nuisance”.

“We’d mainly do it at night time because everyone’s asleep. You wake people up and by the time they’ve called the police, you’re already gone.”

Khan said he and his mates “definitely” knew their behaviour was wrong but they didn’t have anywhere else to go, so he built the somewhere.

Khan said he wanted to turn the negative boy racer situation into a positive one for the city.

He thought the skid pad had the potential to expand and attract a wider audience beyond Rotorua, with some of the previous meets attracting car enthusiasts from as far as Wellington.

“In the long term, it’ll create jobs there once it gets bigger and bigger. There will be jobs for people and also for my own family.”

Rotorua council’s community and regulatory services manager Kurt Williams said the venue was originally being operated without the required consent. It was issued with an abatement notice and two subsequent $750 infringement notices to stop operating, he said.

In 2018, the matter went before the Environment Court. In a decision seen by the Rotorua Daily Post, the court ruled Khan could no longer hold motorised sporting events on the land until land use consent was granted.

Williams said the five complaints between August 1, 2016, and July 8, 2017, all related to noise concerns, while one of the complaints also alleged smoke/odour from burnt rubber.

Williams said a resource consent was needed in cases where there was a non-permitted activity. It may need to be publicly notified if it affects the community unless affected parties have given written approval.

In this instance, motorised sporting events on private land in the working rural zone the property is in, is a “controlled activity” that needs consent.

Williams said consent would also depend on the ability to meet requirements of other relevant agencies. In this case the NZTA, police, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the Department of Conservation.

Williams said the council had not received an application for a resource consent from Khan but if they did, they would “work through the standard process with Mr Khan and/or his representatives in good faith”. He said it had been contacted by a representative who had been told about consent requirements.

The skid pad being built in 2015. Photo / Supplied

NZTA regional manager Jess Andrew said they had raised concerns in 2016 about the safety of events at the site – primarily relating to the accessway and consumption of alcohol.

Andrew said Khan had asked for clear direction about the access issue and his proposal had been reviewed.

NZTA’s recommendations included changes to the passing lane near the property, using temporary traffic management during events and a drug and alcohol management plan.

Andrews said the conditions would be a “significant undertaking” and the next step was to arrange a traffic impact assessment.

The skid pad. Photo / Supplied

Khan said he “didn’t mind” alcohol being consumed on the premises when it was operating and he had bought breathalyzers in 2016 to ensure everyone leaving the facility was sober.

“We tested everyone and if the driver blew anything other than 00.00, we didn’t allow the vehicle to leave the premises until a sober driver was able to drive that car.”

He said he was happy to work with the police to ensure safety.

Khan said the biggest issues with the consent application were practicality and cost.

He said he had sent proposals to NZTA taking the safety issues they identified at the entrance of the property into account.

The entrance is at the start of a northbound passing lane.

Khan believes he can do better for less.

“I have given multiple reasonable options of improvements to make it safer than what it is.”

Khan’s next-door neighbour Chelsea Marriner was supportive of the reopening. She said when it was operating everyone was well-behaved.

“They skidded to their heart’s content, blew all their tyres out, wrecked their engines and went home super happy - it was great.

“We got absolutely minimal noise and smoke, bare minimum - fireworks are more of a nuisance to me than the skid pad was.”

Marriner said the facility could address problems with boy racers.

“We’ve got horse tracks, motocross tracks, mountain bike tracks, skate parks, dog parks, sports fields - they’ve got so little places to go and just skid their cars.

“Get them off the roads and somewhere safe.”

Skids along Maraeroa Rd in Mamaku. Photo / Tamara Poi-Ngawhika

Tina Rose, council liaison for Mamaku Residents Society, said the society was backing Khan as Ngongotaha Motorsport would be “a great asset”.

Rose said it would be great for the local youngsters to practise their skills and have a family-friendly training facility to teach them to learn how to handle a car in a skid situation.

District councillor Fisher Wang, who sat on the rural community board last term, said boy racers, especially on rural roads, were a concern for the board.

While in favour of a purpose-built facility, Wang said it needed to be safe.

He said he understood the “frustrations” of the complex consent process but resource consent took precedence.

“We don’t want any accidents, the burnt rubber, noise pollution, irritation from the smoke to be affecting the surrounding neighbours as well,” Wang said.

Wang said there were no known plans in the pipeline to provide a facility for Rotorua in the near future.

Approached for comment about calls and reports relating to boy racer activity in Rotorua, NZ Police said this would need to be an official information request and it could not provide anecdotal comment.

The Rotorua Daily Post has made the request.