Wye residents are continuing their campaign against a proposal for a motocross racetrack to be built in the area.
Following a meeting with Grant District Council the residents are working together and considering their options to advocate to authorities on their many concerns surrounding the Mount Gambier Junior Motorcycle Club’s racetrack proposal.
Group spokesperson Ebony Pitman said one of the residents’ main concerns continued to be the negative environmental impact of the proposal.
“The site of the proposed track is an area that has had an extensive re-vegetation program undertaken by the local Landcare group in the past and joins large areas of native vegetation that have been set aside by the State Government for conservation,” she said.
“These areas are habitat that is used by many rare and threatened native species such as the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Powerful Owls, Sugar Gliders with Yellow Bellied Gliders sighted nearby to name a few species.
“The site proposed to build the track is directly on top of active wombat burrows and will destroy their habitat as well as clearing large areas of native vegetation.”
Ms Pitman said residents believed the proposed development would have serious impact on many species and the future conservation potential of the area and were considering options to raise awareness of the area’s environmental importance with the land managers ForestrySA.
“Another major concern is the increased traffic hazard the proposed activity will create,” she said.
“The Department for Infrastructure and Transport and council have been contacted to raise the issue of this increased traffic hazard at the Glenelg River Road and Cameron Road intersection.
“There have been a number of traffic accidents at this intersection in recent years.
“We believe that alternative sites that do not have environmental and other impacts this one will have should be considered.”
The Mount Gambier Junior Motorcycle club was contacted for comment via the Head of the Committee John Conti.
“As a club we have always stated from the beginning that we were really keen to work with local residents and I think we have shown that in our approach and ongoing engagement,” Mr Conti said.
