Burswood street motorsport circuit divides opinion as government tries to switch focus

Australia Broadcast Center

17-05-2025

The WA government is ploughing ahead with its controversial $217 million plan to build a street motorsport circuit in Perth's Burswood Park, but don't dare call it a motorplex.
That was the sentiment from Thursday's announcement that the consultation process was opening for one of the government's biggest election promises.
There are differing opinions about the project, but the state government believes all are crystal clear on one thing.
"It's not a motorplex. It's not a motorplex at all," deputy Premier Rita Saffioti said on Thursday.
"It's a sports and entertainment precinct that will help drive activity and create new opportunities to host events into the future."
Dubbed "Rita's racetrack" by some, the project has drawn the ire of locals worried about noise from the track and the environmental impact of construction.
There had initially been strong messaging about the boon the racetrack and motorsport facilities would be for tourism in WA, with Premier Roger Cook arriving at the first media event for the plan in a V8 supercar.
But as the project officially enters the community and stakeholder consultation phase, proponents have pivoted to focus on spruiking the facility's multipurpose potential.
It's these elements — including a large amphitheatre for live music and a building for other sporting and community events — that locals have no qualms about.
Along with the WA Sportscar Club, Mr Cook was flanked by representatives of the WA Association of Musica and West Cycle for this week's update on the project.
"When complete, Burswood Park will be host to more major sporting events, more live music, and importantly, more community functions, creating an entertainment hub," Mr Cook said on Thursday.
"I think people will say that this is an incredible project for the state," Ms Saffioti said.
But frustrated locals aren't buying it, and it's one thing the state opposition and the Greens WA are united on.
Opposition leader Basil Zempilas accused the state government of retrofitting its plans "to try and cover up for their own failures" and "save face".
"They have not been clean with the public of Western Australia on the issue," he said on Thursday.
"It is all spin. They did not announce [the proposal] with microphones singing. They did not announce on push bikes. They announced in a V8 supercar."
Greens WA MLC Brad Pettitt said the project would still be "dominated" by the racetrack, and said not acknowledging this was "disingenuous".
He said the Greens would consider teaming up with the Liberals and others to push for a select inquiry into the issue.
"This one's become a really acute project, one that I think has become symbolic of this government's disregard for the community, disregard for green spaces and their willingness to just concrete over everything," he said.
Some residents had threatened to boycott Labor at the March 8 poll in protest at the racetrack, but incumbent Hannah Beazley comfortably retained the seat of Victoria Park, although there was a 10 per cent swing to the Liberals, and an 8 per cent swing to the Greens.
This could be seen as a mandate for the state government to charge on with the racetrack.
But Town of Victoria Park Mayor Karen Vernon said locals felt robbed of their ability to have their say prior to the racetrack becoming an election issue.
She said the community held little hope the consultation now being conducted would be anything other than an "administrative exercise".
"I think the fundamental issue that the community has ventilated long and loud, both throughout the election campaign and since then is their concern about the motorsport street circuit," she said.
"Now we hear that the community consultation does go to shaping things like what type of trees you want there, what's important to you, is accessibility important to you, is public transport important to you?
"We would say our community has said all those things are important to us."
Given the lingering community sentiment and appetite for a political stoush, it's unlikely "Rita's racetrack" will fade from the headlines any time soon.
Community consultation is due to close next month.