A bit of Aussie news from our mates down under: The iconic mountain circuit Bathurst is set to get a second layout! The Bathurst Regional Council confirmed on Wednesday that it has been successful in locking down the land it needs for a second circuit! The council also stated that they were now in possession of the necessary contracts to secure a 32 hectare plot which sits parallel to the eastern side of Conrod straight.
There are no details available on exactly what the transaction may have cost the Bathurst Regional Council. There is some speculation that the final sale price may have been in the region of $4,5m Australian dollars.
With this purchase, a total of 85 hectares now falls under the umbrella of the Bathurst Regional Council. The plot of land is situated on the eastern side of the Mount Panorama circuit.
The estimated costs of the planned new layout are projected to top $50m Australian dollars! Planning is scheduled to proceed sometime in July 2016, once the council signs off on the projected budget for the proposed first stage of the new development.
Including the investment of $5m Australian dollars in the last financial year by the state of New South Wales and around another $1m Australian dollars being thrown into the kitty by the Regional Council, there is still a shortfall of around $9m Australian dollars for the first phase of the proposed development. To ensure that the project can proceed, the shortfall will be made up by the addition of state and federal government grants.
There is no set time frame for the completion of the second Bathurst layout, however Bathurst Mayor Gary Rush has indicated to the Western Advocate, a local country newspaper, that the ultimate development scheme will span the next two decades.
Bathurst is home to one of the greatest endurance races in the world, The Bathurst 1000, usually held on the first Sunday in October of each successive year. With these plans for a new layout, it will be very interesting to see what the purists think of the Bathurst Regional Council’s plans to add a new circuit at the hallowed home of Aussie motorsport.
Current Bathurst Mount Panorama Layout*
*source wikipedia
