Council bows to riders

Jessica Benton
FINDING a permanent home for the region’s dirt-bike riders is a step closer after Geelong councillors voted this week to throw ratepayers’ money behind saving McAdam Park.
Councillors voted to allocate $660,000 toward the purchase of the park for a regional dirt-bike facility on the Barrabool land.
The money was initially intended for a new Geelong Motocross Club track at Avalon.
But the club decided it wanted to relocate to McAdam Park with Geelong’s Sporting Motor-cycle Club.
Barwon Recreational Motor-cycling Council is tyring to raise $3.2 million to buy the Surf Coast Shire site for the clubs.
State Government and Surf Coast Shire have pledged $1 million and $200,000 respectively, while the riders have also raised about $200,000.
Geelong’s council made its financial support conditional on the motorcycling council raising the remaining $1.2 million by September 7 and eventual development of the land as a regional facility.
Geelong Mayor John Mitchell suggested the club approach other nearby municipalities for cash, such as Colac-Otway and Golden Plains shires.
Cr Andrew Katos wanted State Government and Surf Coast to pay more because the track would be a regional facility.
Crs Andy Richards and Cameron Granger wanted council to allocate a further $340,000 in next year’s budget but their colleagues opposed the bid, calling it outside procedural “protocol”.