Sporting Motorcycle club Statement from facebook - Barrabool Track to Close end of 2015
Tuesday, the 25th February 2014 will be remembered as a dark day in the history of off road motorcycling.
After 4 years of conflict with neighbours, Motorcycling Australia (MA), the owner of the iconic McAdam Park motorcycling facility, has conceded defeat in its battle to turn the venue into a high level, multi user motorcycling facility. McAdam Park will close its gates for the final time at the end of 2015.
At a VCAT directions hearing held this week, MA entered a binding settlement agreement with a local land holders group whereby MA will sacrifice the existing usage rights for motorcycling which are attached to the land, and ultimately sell McAdam Park.
Though the Sporting Motor Cycle Club (SMCC) were a joint party to several VCAT proceedings spanning nearly 4 years, MA chose not to allow the club to have a say in these most recent negotiations over McAdam Park’s future. It was largely from the efforts of SMCC members that via a lengthy VCAT proceeding in 2011, existing usage rights were won and motorcycle riding formalised as a lawful activity on the land.
The SMCC, who has been based at McAdam Park since 1962, will now face being left homeless, with no guarantees of an alternate replacement facility. Needless to say the club is astounded at this devastating course of action taken by MA; especially as alternative courses of action which possibly could have resolved issues with the local community, were never explored.
The SMCC believes the core reason for this outcome was MA’s dogged unwillingness to negotiate toward a realistic and fair outcome. When MA acquired the property in 2009 and conflict arose, local residents voiced their objections saying they would only tolerate ongoing usage if it were based around historic club levels; MA’s intentions were vastly different though and to the end maintained its insistence for McAdam Park to have high levels of activity and for it to be used by multiple user groups – that gulf was never breached. VCAT did not accept that MA’s plans would be an appropriate outcome.
Under the settlement agreement, McAdam Park will operate until December 2015 on a more restricted basis. Details on clubs usage in 2014 are yet to be provided.
In closing - The SMCC would like to say we are sorry to all supporters, individuals, clubs and businesses who helped with the ‘Saving Barrabool’ campaign to get us across the line in 2009. The aim was simply for the SMCC to gain control of the land and also honour the legacy left by Clive McAdam and family who wanted the SMCC to continue so that we could then control our own destiny. All funding raised was handed to MA to assist with purchase of the land. What lay ahead no one could have expected.
The rest as they say, is history.
With regard to our future club operations, the SMCC is already in negotiation with our local and state government representatives.
Regards,
SMCC
