POSITIVE NEWS: SPEEDWAY BACK ONTO NEW COUNCIL AGENDA 

27 March 2025. Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers who drove a solution to get Speedway back “on track” gives his perspective on the current situation. 

*Brent Holden – Speedway legend & NZ Speedway Hall of Famer*

At the suggestion of Lance Anderson, President of the Speedway Association, I went to the Legends Night at the Speedway. Had a great night and yes, I saw the passion of fans, drivers, organisers and owners and heard the breath-taking roar of the engines.   

The question I have been asked the most is ‘Can the Auckland Council decision relocating speedway from Western Springs to Waikaraka Park be revisited?’ The frustration for fans, sponsors and clubs lies in feeling unfairly treated and not given a chance to be heard. 

So let’s look at what happened. Speedway’s promoter had for many years known the lease was expiring in 2024. Following flooding during the storm events, and Covid, the lease was extended by Council to 2025. This allowed speedway and its promoter additional time to consider new sustainable financial opportunities under a new lease – with the promoter claiming he could not sustain running speedway at Western Springs.

It has come to light that many of the fans had not been told about the lease expiring.   

In October, Auckland councillors voted 11-8 not to create a new lease, as improved financial terms had not been offered by Speedway, but instead to spend $11 million to upgrade Waikaraka Park in Onehunga to accommodate speedway into the future. 

How will Western Springs now be used into the future? Expressions of interest for organisations keen for a new lease to operate from the park have been publicly sought. Auckland Council received proposals from three sources – Auckland Football Club, Ponsonby Rugby and specialty concert promoters (the last two have now collaborated joining their submissions together into one). No clubs, or promotor, from Speedway submitted an expression of interest for a new lease within the required timeframes. They may have had their reasons, but the bottom-line is they missed the deadline that is turning out to be a critical lost opportunity.  

Since then, however, the Speedway community has reacted proactively establishing a Speedway Association to consolidate the interests of all the open-wheel classes of race cars under one alliance. Furthermore, the Association has come up with their own new financially sustainable proposal for retaining speedway at Western Springs.

Many of the car owners and sponsors live, work or own businesses in Rodney and they have asked for help. I have been working with the president of the new Speedway Association to find a way for them to present their proposal to the Mayor and Councillors. Meantime Speedway has not received an eviction notice from Western Springs and therefore still have existing use rights. That is, speedway can keep using Western Springs if Waikaraka Park is not ready in time for next season’s racing.

That said, there is a legal and procedural protocol here, and it is equally important that the Auckland Football Club and Ponsonby Rugby, who did follow the correct expression of interest processes, are treated fairly. A vote will be made by Council on 1 May as to what future club would be most appropriate to operate from Western Springs, and this will be put out to all Aucklanders to comment on. Most likely that consultation would occur in June.  

Because speedway did not submit an expression of interest on how it could operate in a more financially sustainable way under a new lease, the sport was unfortunately not in the running to also be considered. In motorsport speak, Auckland Football Club and Ponsonby Rugby have the ‘pole positions’ because they formally entered into the process the right way at the right time.  

*With Craig Steinbring and Brent Holden*

I have also been told an alternative being considered is for the Speedway Association is to file for a Judicial Review in the High Court asking a judge to look at whether the original decision (not to enter into a new lease with Speedway) was made in accordance with the law. In these cases the judge usually won’t look at whether the decision-maker made the ‘right’ decision, but will look instead at the way the decision was made. For example, were the clubs given the chance to have their say, and whether the Councillors were given all the relevant facts before voting. (Update: this Judicial Review filed with the High Court by Speedway on 3 April).

So…thinking laterally…had an idea. The best opportunity the Speedway Association has is if their proposal is included in the Agenda voting papers of 1 May for the Mayor and Councillors to examine. Not all Councillors like this idea but I am supportive of it because, whatever the final decision, Speedway will then have been given a fair chance as existing tenants, even though it sits outside the call for expressions of interest. I have been working hard at my end with the Association, and Council staff, to make this more respectful (and big) achievement happen. 

And it’s good news! This week the Council decided to go with this solution and will include the Speedway proposal and its details in the 1 May voting Agenda. 

The Speedway Association can now request speaking rights at the 1 May meeting if they choose. 

I understand the Speedway Association will make its own decisions now, after consulting with the clubs and sponsors it represents, about what approaches it wishes to advance. But I for one am pleased that Auckland Council is finally giving this 96 year old sport a chance to  table their proposal.