Bradley Woods: ‘Bogan' racing fans will inject big money into WA economy

West Australian

13-07-2025

Recent commentary on the proposed Burswood motorsport precinct has unfairly dismissed the project as 'bread and circuses'.
While critics have resorted to caricatures and stereotypes to undermine the initiative, it is important to separate rhetoric from reality.
The proposed street circuit and entertainment precinct at Burswood represent a generational opportunity for WA, promising significant benefits for our economy, tourism sector and local community.
Look at Melbourne's Grand Prix or Singapore's night race, they're tourism juggernauts, not just petrolhead events. When 50,000 visitors hit town, your local café, hotel and boutique all win. The
Perth street circuit at Burswood would put WA firmly on the international events calendar, driving jobs, investment and sustained economic growth.
For hospitality businesses and workers recovering from tough years that influx means growth, staff shifts, tips and stability.
Critics miss that the 'motorsport precinct' label undersells its potential. Imagine a 20,000-seat amphitheatre hosting Crowded House or Tame Impala under Perth skies, plus year-round festivals, community events and criterium circuit providing a safe place for cyclists to race and train.
This versatile multi-use facility ensures Burswood Park becomes Perth's vibrant living room — families, music fans and foodies all win.
Remember the outrage over Optus Stadium and Elizabeth Quay? Called 'white elephants' back then, now they're icons. Linking Crown, the stadium and this precinct creates a destination in its own right, complementing the Belmont Park redevelopment. Future us will wonder why we hesitated.
'Just for revheads,' they claim.
But what about when hospitality staff get more hours because tourists stay longer and WA suppliers land event contracts? That's real community benefit, creating sustainable prosperity for our state.I get the concerns, but modern circuits co-exist with cafes in Melbourne, Monaco and apartments in Singapore.
Smart design, acoustic barriers and strict scheduling, backed by genuine government consultation, will safeguard what we value as we grow.
After border closures and staffing crises, our tourism sector deserves ambition. This precinct is a catalytic investment, a spotlight announcing Perth punches above its weight, revitalising our visitor economy and enhancing international appeal.
So let's confront the cynics with cold hard facts: Melbourne's Grand Prix injects $270 million into Victoria's economy.
Singapore's night race attracts more than 250,000 international visitors annually, generating $1.4 billion in tourism receipts since inception.
That's the calibre of opportunity we're discussing, not 'noise,' but measurable prosperity for WA families.
Regarding legitimate concerns? Modern solutions silence the doubt. Monaco's circuit operates just metres from residences with ambient noise levels below 60 decibels, quieter than a busy café, through strategic acoustic barriers.
Singapore's event deploys AI optimised traffic flow systems that reduce congestion by 40 per cent during major events.
Suggestions that this project targets a supposed 'bogan vote' fundamentally misunderstands both its purpose and public support.
Government backing stems from comprehensive feasibility studies, not secret polling, showing 87 per cent public approval for major events infrastructure in independent WA Tourism Commission research.
Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti's advocacy reflects her portfolio's mandate: delivering projects with verified economic returns.
To assert that motorsport fans don't care about cost-of-living issues is patronising. Tourism growth directly addresses these concerns by creating 5200 projected jobs and injecting $81m annually into local households.
This is policy grounded in evidence, not electoral caricatures.
This isn't a gamble, it's validated economic strategy, meeting 21st century urban design.
Rejecting it over caricatures would be an unforced error for WA's future. The data-driven choice is clear: build bold, build smart and let the world hear Perth's engine roar.
Bradley Woods is the chief executive of the Australian Hotels Association WA