Finally, with the announcement of the March 2024 Supercars event moving to Bathurst, Newcastle residents and businesses have some level of certainty.
Despite this, the long-term plans of a Supercars return hangs over our heads.
It's unacceptable to put our community through this protracted negotiation process again next year and in the years to come.
Acknowledging the clear result of the Supercars community survey would give the permanent certainty that everyone needs.
Newcastle council continues to ignore the clear position of its constituents on the future of the Supercars race, and their silence has dragged on for too long.
The NSW Premier and Tourism Minister have seen fit to pressure the council to directly oppose the community's clear request to refuse a future contract.
Once again, we see the state government overriding the community and sidelining local government.
Online, phone and in-person community surveys were carried out before, during, and after the final Supercars event in March this year.
The final report was eventually made public in August, and the results were clear. Fifty-nine per cent of 11,000 residents across the Newcastle Local Government Area did not want to see the race return to Newcastle.
The phone survey came back with only 37 per cent opposed, but it's important to note that the 110 people called represent only 4.5 per cent of the online respondents.
Those directly impacted by the event in Ward 1 showed an even higher disapproval rate, with 63 per cent of residents and 65 per cent of businesses opposing the return of the race.
A council spokesperson's immediate response to these results was to criticise the veracity of the survey's findings that they themselves had commissioned.
In stark contrast, Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp acknowledged the survey results as soon as they became public and made it clear that he would support the view of the community.
Had Newcastle council and Labor councillors done this, the community would have had certainty three months ago. Not just for the race that's less than six months away, but permanent certainty.
The exasperating stalemate and deliberations were explained as a result of Destination NSW offering only to fund a one-year contract rather than the five years that the community were asked about via the survey.
This is a distraction from the core issue; I think this council is ignoring its own community and its own community survey.
There is no reason to assume that the results of the survey would have been different if the community were asked about their support for a one-, five- or 10-year race.
Their opposition is clear and the council must acknowledge that as a matter of urgency.
Now that we finally have certainty for the March race next year, we must also have clarity about any future race.
We cannot subject Newcastle to endless waiting games and political backroom negotiations while people are trying to plan their lives.
The uncertainty of whether Newcastle will host a Supercars event in the years to come, will have real implications for businesses and residents in the east end.
Surf clubs and Nippers can't plan for their summer seasons.
Hotels and function rooms don't know if they should be preparing for weddings and conferences or Supercars - they can't take bookings for either.
Local businesses are waiting for certainty before they extend leases.
Residents don't know if they need to be preparing for nine weeks of disruption to accessing their homes.
This is an unforgivable predicament for constituents.
The community consultation result, particularly from residents and businesses in the East End, must be acknowledged so that everyone can have permanent certainty and the council can move on with planning major events that are truly evidence-based and have genuine community support.
