Proposed Motorsport Precinct

Currently, within the Rockhampton region, there is a growing demand for additional facilities to accommodate for motorsports activities. Also, many existing facilities are either inappropriately located (subject to flooding/proximity to sensitive land use activities/ accessibility), lack suitable onsite infrastructure or require additional land for expansion.

Local motorsports bodies and individuals have been advocating for a suitable site for many years and several attempts have been made to identify and establish a motorsports facility in the Rockhampton Region.

The Council is investigating the site to assess its suitability for motor sporting activities. Master planning and technical assessments will be undertaken by industry specialists to assess the characteristics of the site, development constraints and impacts and the suitability and layout for motor sporting activities, prior to proceeding further with the project.

A master plan is a comprehensive long term plan to guide the development of a site. The master plan will provide a blueprint for the community of the intended use for motor sporting facilities and how activities will be managed on the site.  

The process of creating a motor sporting precinct involves a number of steps including:

• Site acquisition

• Master planning and technical assessment

• Key stakeholder engagement

• Preliminary concept plan

• Public release for comment

• Collate community feedback and revise master plan

• Explore governance and funding options

• Development application

• Detailed designs

A flowchart outlining the process can be found here.

Engaging with the community is essential to ensuring the project meets community values and provides the greatest environmental, economic and social benefit to the region. Early consultation with stakeholders is required to understand requirements, issues and guiding principles in the development of a master plan. Residents and motor sporting groups will have multiple opportunities to be involved throughout the development process.

Council will be engaging with industry specialists to undertake technical assessments to ensure the site is suitable for motor sporting purposes and to address development impacts. Technical assessments may include:

• Infrastructure and utility services;

• Transport and access;

• Flooding and stormwater management;

• Environmental Assessment: flora, fauna and waterways;

• Bushfire Hazard Assessment and Management Measures;

• Cultural Heritage Assessment; and

• Air Quality and Noise/Acoustic Assessment and Mitigation Measures

Investigations began last year for a site, with the call for the expressions of interest in October. Council assessed a number of areas located within the Rockhampton Region and the rural area between Bouldercombe and Gracemere, located along the Burnett Highway was identified as a potential area for motor sporting facilities and events.  The assessment criteria used included:

• Distance to main urban areas

• Access to a major road

• Land tenure

• Zoning support

• Constraints

• Useable land area

• Distance from sensitive uses

The identified site at Bouldercombe was selected for further investigation,  due to its useable land area not constrained by naturally occurring hazards such as flooding, having highway frontage for improved accessibility and separated from urban areas however within close enough proximity to the city centres and accommodation for convenience.