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The $85 million Black Rock Motor Resort will be located in Wakefield, in Lake Macquarie, approximately 20 kilometres south-east of Newcastle.
It was initially hoped construction don’t he project could begin in August 2020, but rehabilitation of the area, previously the site of the Rhondda Colliery, delayed that.
The 5.25km track was designed by Tilke Group, which has penned a host of F1 venues, including Las Vegas, Jeddah Corniche, Circuit of The Americas, Yas Marina, and a host of others.
Tilke also has extensive experience designing club and experience-style venues, such as Ascent Drive Restort, and The Magarigawa Club in Japan.
Alongside the track, a driving training centre, a function centre, short-term accommodation, and a go-kart track are planned.
Initial estimates had construction lasted 18-24 months, with the first stage poised to open towards the end of 2025 and the entire facility earmarked for 2027.
“Black Rock Motor Resort is proud to be pioneering the adaptive re-use of a former coal mine into an exciting, world-class adventure tourism destination,” said Tony Palmer, CEO and founder of Black Rock Motor Resort.
“Black Rock Motor Resort will provide a range of motoring experiences, including driver safety training for the young motorists of the region as well as exciting opportunities for the public to drive their own cars, or our cars, on the high-speed circuit.
“I’d like to thank the NSW Government and Lake Macquarie City Council for supporting the vision to transform rehabilitated mining land into a valuable asset for the Lake Macquarie region and NSW.”
Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley, added: “We know motorsport lovers will travel and spend their money when they know they’re getting the best.
“It’s fantastic to see Lake Macquarie step up and offer locals and visitors from across the country and overseas the best in motorsport and tourism.
“We hear constantly about the need for tourism opportunities and adaptive reuse of rehabilitated mines. This is a smart, exciting example of both.”
It’s forecast the project will create 450 jobs during construction, and 229 permanent roles.
The facility has been developed with the capacity to operate 360 days a year and accommodate up to 500 people per day.
The venue is not intended as a race circuit, however, outlining on its website that it is “designed for driver training activities and no racing.”
It adds: “We don’t have the capacity/space/infrastructure to hold these large events. We are passionate about road safety and this is the main purpose of the driving facility.
“This includes; Learners and Provisional training, advanced/defensive driver training, an academy to train future professional drivers, exotic car owners who can’t register their cars for road use, car manufacturers driver training days, driving/passenger experiences, e-sports driving simulators and electric GoKarts.
“We want to hold community events throughout the year like a duathlon, kids days, mountain bikes, markets and we welcome any suggestions and ideas from the community.”
The Black Rock Motor Resort is not the only motorsport project in the region, with Circuit Italia less than 50km to the north.
The Rhondda Colliery was revitalised to repurpose the former mining land for use in productive ways that support the community while minimising any residual risk from its previous use.
Rhondda Colliery commenced underground and open-cut mining activities in the late 1800s before ceasing operations in 1971.
