Wodonga Council has “no formal plans” to investigate whether it is feasible for the Border to host a Supercars round, while Albury City won’t confirm whether it will take action.
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More than 80 per cent of voters in an online Border Mail poll said they would like to see the councils investigate whether it’s possible to bring the event to the Border.
It came as The Border Mail revealed that despite garnering the praise of both mayors in 2016, there has been no discussions about securing a round potentially worth $26 million to the Border economy.
Albury-born Supercars team owner and board member Brad Jones said it was definitely worth looking at whether the event would work on the Border.
“I’ve had a bit of a look at a plan of a circuit that uses both states and wouldn’t be intrusive,” he said.
“You could build it to run down through Noreuil Park and the background would be amazing and make it a cracking event.”
Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie and Albury mayor Kevin Mack were not available to answer questions.
An Albury City statement, which contradicted a previous comment, said council had made attempts to contact Supercars and discuss the event’s potential but never heard back.
“Albury Mayor Kevin Mack said the council made numerous attempts last year to contact Supercars management to discuss the suggestion of hosting a race on the border but received no reply,” the statement said.
“Council notes the high costs and significant challenges presented by hosting such an event but is more than willing to discuss any proposal that might be made.”
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Albury City said “multiple phone calls” had been made but refused to clarify who they attempted to contact or whether any action would now be taken.
Supercars chief operations officer Shane Howard said neither council had contacted him since they announced they were looking for a regional Victoria town to replace Sandown 500.
Wodonga Council confirmed other than “ongoing discussions on a range of topics and events with Albury City” council had no plans to inquire about the feasibility “until a firmer opportunity presents itself”.
“Wodonga Mayor Cr Anna Speedie reiterated that the magnitude of such an event for the twin cities meant it was not a decision to be taken lightly with a lot of work in just investigating the feasibility of such an event,” a statement said.
“Hosting a V8 Supercars round will require a significant investment from councils and will not be possible without strong support from the community, business and key stakeholders.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
