Speedway to move from Western Springs after 95 years due to confusing Auckland Council process

The proposal to move the speedway caused confusion at a governing body meeting last week when an officer’s report showed support for consolidation at Waikaraka Park across the sport, including support from Speedway New Zealand.

The meeting was suspended when a letter from Speedway New Zealand general manager Aaron Kirby was presented saying the official recommendation was “misleading” and that the organization had never supported the closure of Western Springs Speedway.

This led to the governing body’s work being delayed until today, when officers said that after speaking to a number of interested parties, the majority chose to remain in Western Springs. These included Speedway NZ and Auckland QT Midget Cub, which were also cited in favor of the move in an officer’s report last week.

Council senior manager Anna Bray said it was unclear how the Auckland QT Midget Cub letter ended up on the agenda item and had to be withdrawn.

The board’s director of group strategy, Max Hardy, said that while most stakeholders would have preferred for the speedway to remain in Western Springs, most had some understanding that it was not viable, and with $11 million on the table, the move was the right result for the sport.

Councilor and former cabinet minister Maurice Williamson said: “If any minister brought such a confusing paper with so many different threads that contradict each other, one comment would be to the prime minister: ‘Get the bloody paper away and bring it to order before you give it back.”

Mayor Wayne Brown said the issue has a long history and is controversial, but the Western Springs Speedway is heavily constrained by planning regulations, is expensive to operate, is limited to 12 events per year and is a $1.1 million annual loss to taxpayers.

“The decision before us seems quite reasonable to me. I understand the need for a good compromise and this looks set to provide the sport with a sustainable, long-term future.

“We must expand existing capacity. Waikaraka Park is an industrial area and doesn’t have the noise problems that Western Springs has,” he said.

$11 million will be transferred from Tataki Auckland Unlimted (TAU) to Maungakieki-Tamaki Local Council, which is responsible for Waikaraka Park and supports the highway move to Onehunga.

Councilman John Watson said the idea that Western Springs, a “famous 95-year-old Oakland institution known around the world,” could not be used for a race track was an ambush perpetrated by a “sham process.”

“This is a very sad day, not only for the speedway community but for Auckland,” he said.

Councilman Chris Darby said the decision was good for the speedway, saying there are so many sports venues that you just have to move on.

“We are enabling the speedway to move forward and build a whole new era of success,” he said.

The move of the racecourse and possibly Ponsonby Rugby from Western Springs is linked to TAU’s plan to find a new operator for the park.

TAU solicited expressions of interest in June/July that do not rely on taxpayer funding to operate Western Springs. Confidential talks are ongoing and talks with billionaire Bill Foley’s Auckland Football Club include Western Springs, TAU chief executive Nick Hill said.

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