Fight to save Western Springs Speedway continues
Photo:
James Selwyn
Operators of the Western Springs Speedway in Auckland are confident they have managed to change some minds at the city council after making their case to stay open.
Public submissions on the stadium's future opened this week, with the Western Springs Speedway Association taking the opportunity to submit its own proposal to maintain the status quo.
It opposes two other proposals - one for a private stadium and the other for a ratepayer-funded overhaul.
The association is seeking a 30-year lease to keep the speedway running, arguing the space is flexible enough to be used for a variety of purposes including concerts, rugby, football and basketball.
"A lot of people aren't aware the pit gate can be removed for concerts, so it's actually very easy to set a concert up there," spokesperson Jason Jones said
"There's a lot of space that's under-utilized, like the upper carpark where we feel if they did want to build basketball courts that's the most appropriate place."
He argued it was the most sensible option, avoiding costly renovations or privatisation.
"In the meeting we had a local basketball club and Western Springs Football, we [think] if all these groups got together that we could utilise the stadium a lot better without it being privatised," he said.
"In the past we've had the speedway, concerts, and rugby coexist and it's worked pretty well. You can build on that with other community groups."
Gina Harris, a driver at Western Springs Speedway, presented the proposal alongside Jones.
She said councillors were receptive.
"After actually having our say there was a lot of them mumbling that they wished they had known all of this when they were forced to make a decision last October... They would have voted differently," she said.
Harris said it was a shame it had taken so long for the council to hear them out.
"For this to be the first opportunity for Aucklanders to actually have their say about one of their biggest assets so far down the track, it's not a good look for the council."
Jones agreed.
"Having councillors make decisions without key facts and information is just not appropriate, so we've got submissions until the 16th for the general public and we'd like them to put it back on the table and revisit it."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

RNZ News
10 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Sports News for 11 June 2025
The All Whites are seeking to complete a second upset in less than a week when they take on world no.25 ranked Ukraine later this morning. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.

RNZ News
10 hours ago
- RNZ News
Speedway deal: Proposal to sell Baypark stand for $1, extend lease
Speedway could stay at Mercury Baypark until 2039. Photo: Supplied/LDR The community is being asked if speedway should stay at Mercury Baypark Stadium as the council decides whether to extend the club's lease. Baypark Speedway has called the Mount Maunganui stadium home since it was built in 2001 and has a lease to operate there until 2029. Tauranga City Council is considering a proposal that would extend speedway operations until 2039. The proposal would involve Speedway Racing Ltd buying the north stand of 15,600 seats for $1 and being responsible for its maintenance, while leasing the land from the council through the facilities arm Bay Venues. The council would retain ownership of the land and the north stand would be returned to the council at the end of the lease in 2039 for $1. Under the proposal speedway would buy and maintain the curved north stand at Baypark Stadium. Photo: NZME via LDR Baypark Speedway promoter Melissa Webb said the proposal was its preferred option for running speedway in Tauranga. If the agreement was approved, Baypark Speedway would bring more events to Tauranga that would not be limited to just speedway, said Webb. "This will be a positive for the city." Speedway would prefer a longer lease than 2039 because of the investment it would make, she said. "We intend on investing a considerable amount of money into improvements at the stadium, and we need the security and longevity for our investment." Webb said it was understandable the council wanted Tauranga ratepayers to have their say on the proposal. Councillor Kevin Schuler said before decisions about the proposal were made, the council wanted to understand the community's views. "This consultation is about testing the community's support for the proposal and weighing up what Mercury Baypark Stadium's future should look like for the next decade." The proposal provided a way for speedway to continue operating without placing immediate costs on ratepayers, he said. "If there's not strong community support for this approach, we'll explore alternative options for the site beyond 2029." Schuler said the north stand was in poor condition and required investment to remain operational. It was used almost exclusively for speedway events, around 15 times a year. "If speedway continues until 2039, it would be under new arrangements that shift the immediate cost and responsibility for maintaining the stand to Speedway Racing." "If not, there are potential opportunities to reimagine the site for future recreational or commercial uses that could serve the wider community from 2029." Tauranga City Councillor Kevin Schuler at the inauguration on August 2, 2024. Photo: LDR/David Hall Speedway was at risk of being displaced in 2022 when the commission governing the council had plans to replace the stadium with a multi-use sporting precinct for outdoor netball, track and field athletics and gymnastics. A protest was held and a "Hands Off Baypark Speedway" campaign was launched. There was also the threat of legal action if an agreement about speedway was not reached. In September 2023, the plans were changed to keep the stadium and pits and allow speedway to retain its current lease until 2029. Consultation on the speedway proposal closes at 5pm on 23 June. A drop-in session with councillors will be held at Mercury Baypark Arena Suites on 14 June from 10am to noon. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

RNZ News
11 hours ago
- RNZ News
Person dies after colliding with power pole in Northcote
Police said the car crashed on the corner of Onewa Road and Seaview Ave. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER One person has died after their car crashed into a power pole in the Auckland suburb Northcote on Tuesday. Police said the car crashed on the corner of Onewa Road and Seaview Ave, just after 4:30pm. The person could not be revived and died at the scene. The Serious Crash Unit carried out an examination.