Pakenham
Australia’s Best Community Newspaper
SOOO CUTE! New brood makes doggy history
Connecting people and communities
BEC’S BROWNLOW What it’s really like on the red carpet
PAGE 3 Wednesday, 4 October, 2017
PAGE 4
A Star News Group publication Phone: 5945 0666 Classifieds: 1300 666 808
$1 iinc. GST
Muddy great fun! Five-year-old Ally Crocos was fearless in tackling the mud ditch at the weekend's Muddy Hell at Pakenham Racecourse. More pictures on page 9 173460
■ Rev-heads face being shunted out of home...
All driven away By Bonny Burrows Local rev-heads risk being driven out by Pakenham’s planned worldclass motorsports precinct. The Pakenham Auto Club has voiced concerns that plans for a state-of-the-art motorsport, karting and driver training precinct could impact the local motorsport scene in favour of national competition. Cardinia Shire Council in early September announced its plans for the motor precinct through expression of interest advertisements in metropolitan newspapers.
It was revealed through the advertisements that council was looking at developing two adjoining parcels of land - a 13.36-hectare site for karting and a 63.46-hectare site - for motorsports. The auto club operates from the McGregor Road site, which is up for redevelopment, under an ongoing temporary use agreement with the council. Its members would “love” to see plans come to fruition, but are concerned that the world-class motorsports precinct could place grassroots
motor groups at risk without proper planning. “Pakenham Auto Club would love to see such a facility built in the area as long as local motorsport is taken into account, and local grassroots clubs have a place to continue and development,” club vice-president Emily Stuchbery said. A council spokesperson told the Gazette in early September that the shire was keen to see the precinct developed into a world-class automotive and motorsports precinct featuring a race track and associated
infrastructure; driver training and education facilities and programs; competition-standard karting track and infrastructure and events; and complementary automotive industries and educational opportunities. According to the council, the site is the only suitably zoned land close to Melbourne which could be developed for such use. Currently, the land is used by the Pakenham Auto Club to conduct motorkhanas, khanacross and autocross competitions and a youth driver program.
New hospital opening January 18th 2018
However the group has been led to believe that none of these events will happen within the proposed new complex. If the precinct is approved, Pakenham Auto and its estimated 400 members will need to find a new home. Ms Stuchbery said the club had been given unequivocal commitment by Cardinia Shire CEO Garry McQuillan that it would not be displaced until an appropriate suitable site is available for club level activities.
Continued page 5
2016 Rav 4 GX All Wheel Drive 8 to choose from
from
12365650-LB40-17
$25,888* driveaway
12367136-PB40-17
Auto, Petrol, 2.5 litre, Blue Tooth plus loads of colour choices
12361971-LB34-17
www.sjog.org.au/berwickredevelopment