On track for motorsport

By Cam Scott
THE green light has been given to a huge indoor motorsport facility in Hallam.
At Tuesday night’s council planning meeting, the council took little time to approve a permit for the development and use of an indoor motocross facility on O’Grady Road in Hallam, after no objections were received in response to the application.
Chairman of Casey’s planning committee Roland Abraham said the facility would be a boon to Casey’s strong contingent of recreational motorbike riders and would also benefit local industry through job creation.
“I think it’s fantastic. It’s a fantastic proposal,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot of concerns in the past with people on motorbikes churning up our reserves.
“This is a great opportunity now for young and old people to ride in a controlled environment.”
The building will be 13.6 metres high and will have a riding arena of 9985 square metres as well as a large administrative and amenities area, plus a first floor viewing area of the main arena.
It will comprise three separate tracks which will cater for experienced riders, beginners and children.
The facility is specifically designed for practice and club riding competitions for members and, although staging major events is not currently on the cards, applying to host major events has not been ruled out down the track.
The centre will operate between 10am and 10pm from Monday to Saturday and 10am to 9pm on Sundays.
The car park will include car and trailer spaces. Riders will also have the opportunity to store their bikes at the centre.
Cr Abraham said one of the major benefits the centre will bring is a focus on safety through a series of safe riding courses that are proposed to be run out of the venue once it is operational.
“Certainly those motorbike enthusiasts in Casey will now have a venue to go to rather than travelling far distances to attend some competitions and that would have to be a positive for the City of Casey,” he said.
“There’s also a focus on motorbike safety and that’s a positive because it teaches motorcycle responsibility which is something we want to encourage.”