WYONG REGIONAL CHRONICLE - WWW.CENTRALCOASTNEWS.NET
Page 3 31 October, 2018
NEWS
Race club growth could leave community groups homeless P
roposals to expand and redevelop the Wyong Race Club have created an uncertain future for several large community organisations who are based on Race Club land, according to Central Coast Councillors Doug Vincent and Kyle MacGregor. From P1
The land was believed to have been donated by Warner who was one of the first non-Indigenous land owners in the area. A race track was relocated from Tuggerah to the area in 1915 and over the next 80 years control of the lands had fluctuated between the Showground Committee and the Race Club. The Showground Committee slowly wound down over the decades
and by the 1990s the land came into the possession of the Wyong Race Club. The Race Club and Baker Park were listed as one of the former Wyong Council’s iconic sites with bonus height and floor space arrangements on offer for developers. According to Clr Vincent, since the 1990s, the tenure of the netball association, tennis club, Wyong pool, and “all the clubs at the race track” has been uncertain. “Poultry has been shown at that location since 1904 and the Poultry Club, the biggest outside of the major cities, was encouraged by former Race Club committees to expand and invest in its facilities. “The Council has its role to play to consider the future master planning of the site. “For the past 100 years the Baker Park and showground site
Wyong Race Club CEO, David Jewell have been utilised by said. the community for many “It has been an iconic activities such a regional community hub that agricultural shows, was donated to the sporting events, and community by one of the agricultural research,” he
founding landowners of the area. “I hope the current Council can create a master plan for the area that accommodates the interests of the historical community groups that have used the site for a century.” Wyong Poultry Club amalgamated with the Gosford club to become the Central Coast Poultry Club in 1980 andcontributes at least $500,000 to the local economy each year. “It supports around 2500 high school students each year who are involved in agriculture, it has programs that go into schools and nursing homes. “The Poultry Club had never had a lease until a year ago but it has been aware since 2009 of plans to develop the race course land. “It appears the Race Club Committee, at that
time, told the Poultry Club they would be compensated if they had to relocate but nothing was put in writing. Wyong Race Club CEO, David Jewell, said: “I am aware there was an agenda item about Baker Park, someone from Rescue Services made some comments.” When asked whether the proposed $6 million master plan would impact on any current tenants, Jewell said: “Yes”. He said: “Let’s be fair, they have been on notice for the three years we have been doing plans and their licence expires on November 30 and they were all given notice three months ago,” Jewell said. “There is a due process we are working through that they are well aware of,” he said. Continued P4
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