Councillor Jared Wright declared via an opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph that the possibility of bringing Supercars to the Central Coast is a “once in a generation opportunity”.
Supercars continues to look for a new street race location in the state following the demise of the Newcastle 500.
Wollongong and the Central Coast were both mooted as targets by then Supercars CEO James Warburton late last year.
While Wollongong has subsequently appeared the front-runner, Wright is keen to keep the Central Coast in the conversation.
Supercars had set its sights on the Central Coast when it looked to replace its Homebush event for 2017, with significant work undertaken around a waterfront Gosford circuit.
However, the Central Coast Council pulled the pin on the plan due to concerns over traffic disruptions and costs, with Newcastle eventually getting the event.
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Acknowledging the logistical challenges of the Gosford Waterfront area remain, Wright wants areas in the northern half of the region, namely Long Jetty, The Entrance and Toukley, to be explored.
“A setback for Newcastle was the impact to CBD businesses who had to navigate the weeks-long event preparation and pack up,” he wrote.
“That is why I am suggesting that we don’t relook at the idea of Gosford Waterfront but consider where we can explore more regional locations on the Central Coast that showcase our incredible scenery.”
Confident the Central Coast has the transport and accommodation infrastructure required, Wright stressed that the entire region would benefit from such an event.
“I have held high level discussions with a range of key stakeholders about what a Supercars event on the Central Coast could look like and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” he wrote.
“There is genuine interest and a shared view that the Central Coast offers the right mix of infrastructure, amenity and community support.”
Located north of Sydney, the Central Coast is the third-largest urban area in NSW and features of a series of coastal towns.
Its main commercial hub is Gosford, which was the birthplace of Supercars Hall of Famer Mark Skaife.
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