Decision puts brakes on motorsport plans

By Paul Dunlop
PAKENHAM’S sewerage farm has been ruled out as a potential home for a regional motorsports facility.
South East Water officials last week said the farm, in Kooweerup Road, was not suitable.
The decision has led mayor Garry Runge to say the council now has few other options.
Councillors had identified the sewerage farm site as possibly the last roll of the dice in their attempts to resolve what has been a longrunning and controversial saga.
South East Water managing director Dennis Cavagna told the Gazette the site was too small.
“The Cardinia Shire Council approached South East Water last week to inquire about utilising the Pakenham Sewerage Treatment Plant site for a motorsports facility,” Mr Cavagna said.
“After an investigation it was determined that the space required for such a facility is larger than is available at the sewerage treatment plant.
“South East Water also examined the possibility of using another of its sites, Bald Hill Farm.
“However, this site is being used as part of the reuse irrigation scheme, which includes the storage and irrigation of recycled water,” he said.
Mr Cavagna said South East Water was writing to the council to inform it that both the treatment plant and Bald Hill Farm were not suitable locations for a motorsports facility.
The news was met as disappointing by Cr Runge who chairs the joint CaseyCardinia working party set up to explore potential sites.
Cr Runge said the working party was not due to meet until tomorrow (Thursday) and so had not officially discussed South East Water’s decision.
Cr Runge said it was too early to forecast council’s response.
But the elimination of the sewerage farm meant Cardinia was ‘running out of options’, he said.
“Unless something else comes up, there really isn’t anything left,” Cr Runge said.
Councillors have said Planning Minister Rob Hulls has all but ruled out a motorsports facility on green wedge land, which eliminates most of the shire.
Other sites have either been ruled inappropriate or not available.
Any decision by the council to end its efforts would almost certainly attract criticism in the community.
Motorsports enthusiasts say they have been waiting years for something to be done.
Councillors have been accused in the past of only paying lip service to the motorsports issue a claim denied by Cr Runge and colleagues.
Another working party led by Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato is also working on the issue.