17 December 2004

Talks underway on speedway noise issues

All parties involved in the Western Springs speedway noise issue will meet again on Monday – to see if agreement can be reached on short and long term solutions.

Auckland’s Deputy Mayor, Dr Bruce Hucker, chaired a meeting of residents and speedway promoters, the speedway sporting body and speedway fans for just over two hours from 11.15am today.

The parties have agreed to reconvene on Monday.

Speedway interests have also undertaken to talk with the organiser of a speedway march, planned for tomorrow, to change the route so it does not pass residents’ homes.

Dr Hucker said today the city wanted the speedway to continue at the Springs.

The parties were being invited to negotiate on short term ideas, like a joint approach to the Environment Court next week to suspend its interim enforcement order conditionally while the parties engaged in agreeing on longer term noise mitigation measures.

Dr Hucker said, if the parties agreed, this would allow the speedway to go ahead for this season, while ensuring there were long term solutions.

“In it’s simplest terms – we want the cars to be able to make a noise on the track at a level which doesn’t wreck their sport. And we need to put other things in place to ensure that, when it gets over the boundary, that noise level is down to one, which doesn’t wreck the neighbours’ lives.

I believe, with continuing goodwill, we will find the answers – and achieve what everyone wants at and around the Springs,” Dr Hucker said. The council for its part had tabled an offer to fund research into what was working here and around the world to reduce racing cars’ noise and noise in tracks’ neighbourhoods. It was also offering to fund research into what measures would reduce noise (for example, noise barriers).

“Nothing is agreed. We are negotiating. It was a robust meeting. We need now to build trust among the parties that they will work long term in each others’ best interests, and agree on what’s needed in the next few days to allow this season to keep going,” Dr Hucker said.

“I’m very pleased everyone has agreed to meet again Monday. What happens next we will not know until Monday.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media