It’s been a decade since the circuit was last repaved, and signs of wear are becoming more noticeable.
A new surface itself is atop the agenda for the Bathurst council in a long list of items that need attention, including safety upgrades, operations and customer-facing aesthetics.
The council will commission an economic stimulus report, which looks set to be funded in part by the promoters behind the major events at Mount Panorama.
That includes Supercars (Bathurst 1000 and Bathurst 12 Hour), the Australian Racing Group (Bathurst 6 Hour) and Hungry Tiger (Challenge Bathurst).
Speaking with Speedcafe, Bathurst Deputy Mayor Ben Fry said the report will be presented to the federal and state governments as it seeks tens of millions of dollars in support.
Cr Fry said Supercars interim CEO Barclay Nettlefold and the championship’s partnerships manager Shane Rudzis have been particularly helpful with the pitch.
“The last time we did full economic workups of the benefits of motorsport events at Mount Panorama was about 2014,” said Cr Fry.
“So the data is 12 years old and we seriously need to look at getting some more research done so we can prove to the federal and state government that the stimulant of motorsport to the New South Wales and Australia economy is incredible.
“We know that Mount Panorama is a great driver of economic stimulus to Bathurst, Central West New South Wales and the Commonwealth, but we need to understand that in real terms with accurate data.
“We’ll be proceeding with a piece of research around commissioning a research company to effectively give us this analytical viewpoint of the stimulus that it provides to all economies on every level so that we can actually better pull together a prospectus and a proposal for the federal and state governments to consider in the coming year.
“We need to do this meticulously and make sure that all of our data is accurate so we can prove return on investment to our government partners. It’s really important to get all of your ducks in a row before you’re going for funding because you don’t want any opportunity for that funding to be questioned at any level.
“We will be working with Supercars in order to choose the right research partner that will give us an uplift in that proposal. Then we’ll put together the necessary documentation that the federal and state governments will look for when you’re pitching for these kinds of funding buckets.
“We are fully aware of the enormity of what Mount Panorama as a racing facility means to the nation. It’s arguably the most famous and it deserves to surpass political lines.
“We think that the proposition of funding Mount Panorama should actually not have politics at play, so we’re willing to work with everyone, everywhere, all at once to ensure that a robust proposition is put towards our government partners to ensure it has the best chance of getting up.
“The last thing we want to do is just a haphazard, quick funding grab to whoever we know through a back door. That’s not the way we operate. We want to do it right the first time so it has the best chance of being funded either through the current (Anthony) Albanese or (Chris) Minns governments.”
The Bathurst Regional Council plans to pick a research partner in the coming months to produce a report.
That will speak to stimulus and what it means to different subset economies at local level, regionally, across the state and for Australia more broadly.
It will look at the cost-benefit ratio, and the council plans to prove to the state and federal governments that there will be a return on investment.
“If the federal or the state government is going to put taxpayer dollars into a project or a precinct like this, they want to see how it gives a return to businesses and the economy in general,” Cr Fry explained.
As far as the laundry list of items that the Bathurst Regional Council would like to tackle, Cr Fry said there is a weighting system.
“If you had an unlimited budget, you could easily spend 100 million-plus up here,” said Fry.
“But we’re pragmatic. We need to pick our priorities right and ensure that’s fit for purpose for the operation of the circuit, but also the safety of the participants who are driving.
“Ultimately, we want this to be as safe as possible, but we are also highly aware it’s the most dangerous circuit you can race in Australia, arguably.
“We need to make sure that we’re as modern as we can be. High up on the priority list are things like lighting.
“We’re looking at fauna fencing, understandably — and Ford would agree with us there. We’re also looking at other tyre wall upgrades and straightening of concrete barriers.
“They’re little changes that can mean a lot in terms of when an incident does occur.”
Cr Fry said resealing the circuit is the council’s priority above all else.
The last time the circuit was resealed was in 2014. The shelf life for the bitumen, considering its use as a public road, is about a decade.
Signs that the circuit is due for an upgrade are noticeable with resin patchwork prominent across the 6.213km course.
“Resealing the circuit is probably not even on the list. I think it’s just our default wish right now,” said Cr Fry.
“It surpasses that priority list and is just sitting at number one, carte blanche, no matter how it’s weighted, because if we do not have a circuit that is sealed properly we cannot race at Mount Panorama.
“I think that’s the key thing around all of these other safety upgrades, operational upgrades, or tourist facing upgrades, they’re all really great to have on this list but ultimately if we want to keep motorsport at the spiritual home in Bathurst, New South Wales, we need to seal this circuit and that’s got to be the number one thing we pitch for.”
Cr Fry said the council was “lucky” that the surface had held up for as long as it has but warned that the sport’s governing body would rightly begin asking questions.
It’s expected the cost of resurfacing the track would be roughly $8 million.
“We are on a bit of a time crunch and we fully expect that all the safety authorities, including Motorsport Australia, will start asking questions about the surface in the coming years,” said Cr Fry.
“We want to get ahead of that, make sure that a seal is completed in the next couple of years.
“We actually don’t have a kitty that’s been reserved of that magnitude because it is an $8 million dollar price tag to seal this circuit in the motorsports spec.
“People gawk at that a little bit, but it’s $8 million for a reason.
“It’s six kilometres of a dangerous track, so you have to mitigate all risks, which includes having a smooth surface for drivers to race on.”
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