The Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday that initial talks have taken place between Supercars, Destination NSW and Wollongong City Council about hosting an event.
Supercars CEO James Warburton first flagged Wollongong late last year as a potential replacement for the Newcastle 500 that was scrapped in 2023.
Destination NSW was keen to continue funding the Newcastle 500, but it was knocked on the head by the local council following community consultation.
That was despite the event having delivered an average economic benefit to Newcastle of $30 million per year.
Paul Scully, the Member for Wollongong in the NSW Government, came out in support of the Wollongong street race push on Thursday.
Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown, however, has now shared concerns that a Supercars event is not the right fit for the city.
Buy tickets
Major events held in Wollongong in recent years include the 2022 UCI Road World Championships cycling and the 2025 World Triathlon Finals.
Brown said she has not been involved in initial discussions about the Supercars race as Destination NSW sounds out its feasibility.
“Some high-level discussions have taken place, and we’re doing our due diligence on the approach,” Brown told the Illawarra Mercury.
“I think it doesn’t quite align with what I see as our city’s key alignment areas.
“We like our world [triathlon], we like fitness things.
“So I personally don’t think it’s a great fit for us, but there is a process to work through, and we’ll do our due diligence on it.”
The Telegraph’s report included a mock track map taking in the Cliff Road foreshore and up to the Flagstaff Point Lighthouse.
While clearly a spectacular location that would show off the city, Brown also questioned its practicality.
“That’s part of the feasibility that you’d look at – is there another location locally?” she said.
“I don’t believe through the [main] part of the city is the right spot, but these things are on the table.
“I don’t personally think it aligns with what we want as a city but Destination NSW has raised it; it’s our duty to look at it.
“No decisions are made, no formal pitch has been submitted to us, and we’ll inform the community if and when that happens.”
The industrial area of Port Kembla, located on the coast 10km south of the CBD, is also believed to be a possible location for a Wollongong street race.
Destination Wollongong general manager Jeremy Wilshire said any formal proposal for a Supercars event would need careful consideration.
“Clearly an event of the scale of the V8 Supercars would present significant tourism and economic opportunities for Wollongong, while also requiring careful consideration of community impact, logistics and overall value,” he said.
“What it does highlight is that, following the World Triathlon Championships and the UCI World Road Cycling Championships, Wollongong is increasingly being recognised as a capable and compelling destination for major events.”
Wollongong is located 85km south of Sydney and, according to the 2021 census, is the fourth largest urban area in NSW behind Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast.
Discussion about this post