17 December 2004
Talks underway on speedway noise issues
All parties involved in the Western Springs speedway noise issue will meet again on Monday – to see if agreement can be
reached on short and long term solutions.
Auckland’s Deputy Mayor, Dr Bruce Hucker, chaired a meeting of residents and speedway promoters, the speedway sporting
body and speedway fans for just over two hours from 11.15am today.
The parties have agreed to reconvene on Monday.
Speedway interests have also undertaken to talk with the organiser of a speedway march, planned for tomorrow, to change
the route so it does not pass residents’ homes.
Dr Hucker said today the city wanted the speedway to continue at the Springs.
The parties were being invited to negotiate on short term ideas, like a joint approach to the Environment Court next
week to suspend its interim enforcement order conditionally while the parties engaged in agreeing on longer term noise
mitigation measures.
Dr Hucker said, if the parties agreed, this would allow the speedway to go ahead for this season, while ensuring there
were long term solutions.
“In it’s simplest terms – we want the cars to be able to make a noise on the track at a level which doesn’t wreck their
sport. And we need to put other things in place to ensure that, when it gets over the boundary, that noise level is down
to one, which doesn’t wreck the neighbours’ lives.
I believe, with continuing goodwill, we will find the answers – and achieve what everyone wants at and around the
Springs,” Dr Hucker said. The council for its part had tabled an offer to fund research into what was working here and
around the world to reduce racing cars’ noise and noise in tracks’ neighbourhoods. It was also offering to fund research
into what measures would reduce noise (for example, noise barriers).
“Nothing is agreed. We are negotiating. It was a robust meeting. We need now to build trust among the parties that they
will work long term in each others’ best interests, and agree on what’s needed in the next few days to allow this season
to keep going,” Dr Hucker said.
“I’m very pleased everyone has agreed to meet again Monday. What happens next we will not know until Monday.”
ENDS