OzVMX Forum

Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: GMC on October 25, 2013, 11:20:17 am

Title: NSW speedway act
Post by: GMC on October 25, 2013, 11:20:17 am
So what is this mysterious act of parliament that restricts all events in NSW?
If the course has to be behind a fence where does it state what the fence needs to be made from?

Curiosity got the better of me but this is all I could find..

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/inforce/subordleg+494+1999+cd+0+Y/?dq=Regulations%20under%20Motor%20Vehicle%20Sports%20%28Public%20Safety%29%20Act%201985%20No%2024
Title: Re: NSW speedway act
Post by: Nathan S on October 25, 2013, 12:29:29 pm
Interesting question.

A quick look turned up the original, FWIW:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/srsa1957n69311.pdf

But there's no question that it has been amended at least once:
http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/deep/reprints-acts.html#S

No, wait, I think I've found the current version:
http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/inforce/subordleg+481+2010+cd+0+N/?dq=Regulations%20under%20Motor%20Vehicle%20Sports%20(Public%20Safety)%20Act%201985%20No%2024

Can't tell if its a crap website that doesn't actually show the act, or my phone sucking at the Internet - I think the latter.


Title: Re: NSW speedway act
Post by: Montynut on October 25, 2013, 12:32:13 pm
Everyone still refers to it as the Speedway ACT but it was actually changed to the Motor Vehicle Sport (Public Safety) ACT in the mid to late '80s
http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/inforce/subordleg+494+1999+cd+0+Y/?dq=Regulations%20under%20Motor%20Vehicle%20Sports%20%28Public%20Safety%29%20Act%201985%20No%2024

when you open the link above there is a button at the top that says 'Parent Act". Regulations have no power in their own right they are enpowered by and ACT. The regulations can be easily updated while an ACT needs to make it way through the entire Parlimentary system to be amended.

This ACT calls into force the regulations that you linked. The restrictive nature is the fact the regulations require consent from the local council, police etc or an indication from those bodies that they do not object or have any input into the land being used for motorsport.

Basically a track or circuit needs to be inspected by
a) MA or in the case of NSW MNSW - this inspection is all about competitior, official and spectator safety in relation to the racing taking place.
b) the NSW department of Sport and recreation must also licence the track (MNSW can not issue their licence until the MNSW Sport & rec licence has been issued. This inspection is carried out by the police department and is all about public safety and includes things like spectator fences, pit area fences, distances from the racing, access to and from the property, safe access to and from to the public road and even ammenities such as available toilets, water etc. The local Council is consulted before initial licencing notified each year.

Now this does not apply in the Aust Capital Territory and does not apply to non speed events such as Moto Trials and from what I can under stand Enduros were outright speed is not the determining factor.

This means that to hold the Canowindra Cup each year there are weeks of preparation required with the track set out for each of the track inspection which may not be at the same time and fees paid to both bodies.

This all came about back in the '50s with the amount of carnage that took place at the Sydney Showground speedway or more specifically the continual death of spectators when bikes or more often cars cleared the fence and hit spectators.
Title: Re: NSW speedway act
Post by: bazza on October 25, 2013, 02:23:10 pm
Needs repealing
Title: Re: NSW speedway act
Post by: firko on October 25, 2013, 03:11:21 pm
Quote
This all came about back in the '50s with the amount of carnage that took place at the Sydney Showground speedway or more specifically the continual death of spectators when bikes or more often cars cleared the fence and hit spectators
While the competitor deaths at the Showground had some influence on the introduction of the act, a cluster of accidents where spectators were killed or seriously hurt prompted the most action. One of those accidents was at the old Gnoo Blas circuit in Orange when a race car left the track and hit a picnicking family group, killing a number of them. That's what inspired the draconian spectator fence regulations, the safety of the rider/driver being of secondary consideration to keeping the car/motorcycle within the race circuit and away from spectators.
Title: Re: NSW speedway act
Post by: Montynut on October 25, 2013, 03:31:51 pm
Needs repealing
That is just not even remotely likely
Title: Re: NSW speedway act
Post by: pancho on October 26, 2013, 05:22:49 pm
 I have an original copy of the 'speedway public safety bill' 1958?9? That I got from my local state member somewhere.
 I remember the Phrase 'where speed is the determining factor' being the key to any motor sporting restrictions.

pancho.
Title: Re: NSW speedway act
Post by: Montynut on October 26, 2013, 07:07:30 pm
Quote
This all came about back in the '50s with the amount of carnage that took place at the Sydney Showground speedway or more specifically the continual death of spectators when bikes or more often cars cleared the fence and hit spectators
While the competitor deaths at the Showground had some influence on the introduction of the act, a cluster of accidents where spectators were killed or seriously hurt prompted the most action. One of those accidents was at the old Gnoo Blas circuit in Orange when a race car left the track and hit a picnicking family group, killing a number of them. That's what inspired the draconian spectator fence regulations, the safety of the rider/driver being of secondary consideration to keeping the car/motorcycle within the race circuit and away from spectators.

Yes you are corrcet Firko I remember reading that now. The problem was they gave no time to comply and it closed a lot of circuits permanently and others for months from what I have been told.