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Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Tweed farm road not a race track, council told

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An image from Google Earth showing the layout of the 'farm road' suspected of being a race track.
An image from Google Earth showing the layout of the ‘farm road’ suspected of being a race track.

Luis Feliu

Tweed shire councillors will investigate the impact from a 10-metre-wide, 2.4-kilometre road a Tweed Valley landowner built through his property which shire officers suspected was an unauthorised race track.

The Dulguigan landowner claimed it was a ‘farm’ road to be used for extensive agriculture after council officers inspected the site and said it appeared to be a racetrack, configured with a closed looped similar to such tracks.

The owner’s planning consultant told council the road on the property at Dulguigan Road had been built for the purpose of extensive agriculture and therefore could be done without council approvals.

Last month, the consultant again wrote to council advising that because ‘council’s primary concern is that the farm road is looped’, the landowner wanted to amend their formal development submission to remove around 100 metres of the looped road at the northern end of the property to ‘instead provide connections to the shed and other internal roads’.

Council planning chief Vince Connell recommended in his report that given that advice and the fact no complaints had been received nor had the road been observed as being used as a race track, council ‘acknowledges the farm road has been constructed as part of development for the purpose of extensive agriculture’.

But Mr Connell recommended council engage its solicitors if any complaints about the road were made or if it was seen to be used as a race track or for any other unauthorised purpose.

Councillors however overturned the recommendation at the instigation of mayor Gary Bagnall and Cr Katie Milne, voting unanimously to defer the matter for a workshop to seek technical advice from relevant government agencies on drainage and flooding impacts of the road works on and around the site.

In their report, planning staff said their inspection and images from Google Earth this year revealed the road ‘appears to be a race track’ and a that a search of council files found no approval for such a structure at the property had been granted.

‘The constructed road has also been investigated in light of it potentially interrupting the overland flow of water,’ the report said.

‘The owner has advised council officers that laser levels have confirmed that the height of the constructed road is below the existing road on the subject site and roads in the local area.’

The landowner’s consultant told officers the farm road allowed ‘for the movement of farm machinery and equipment to the various parts of the property’.

But council officers said the Google image ‘clearly indicates the extent of the road works (farm road) undertaken by the owner and the configuration of such’.

The owner had then provided a concept plan indicating the scope of works proposed for the site (below).

racetrack2


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21 COMMENTS

  1. We need a racetrack as whingers got rid of Speed on Tweed which was a wonderful draw card to Murwillumbah and such an iconic event. So many die on our roads because they cannot regain control a car when they lose control. I learnt I could not really drive after taking up racing as a youth and taking lessons from experts.
    A track could be used to train young drivers how to really control a car. Licenses are granted testing them at 60k’s then and letting them onto our roads at up to 110k . That is plain stupid!

    • How lovely for all the neighbours to have a race track in a rural setting such as this.
      we buy a quite setting to live in and then some one does this… I don’t think so!!!!

  2. Umm it’s his property what’s the big deal? Councils are trying to create nanny states!! Our country gets more pathetic every week!

  3. Matyas,

    The absolute worst thing the owner could do is hold a publicized Motorsport event on his “farm road”

    its exactly the evidence the council would need to tear it down.

  4. It’s not a race track until 2 or more vehicles start doing laps in competition with each other. Until then it’s just road base and hot mix

  5. If the main straight is long enough it could be used as a dragstrip for the annual Massey Ferguson Vs, Allis-Chalmers Vintage Tractor Grudge Race,..or he could land his Spitfire ‘cropduster’. As usual council whingers need to mind there own business!

  6. unfortunately Australia is so over regulated. Pathetic local government politicians with nothing better to do. It’s freehold land. There have been no complaints….

  7. The local council at it again. Our “authorities” need to be finding ways of enhancing this type of initiative in this country, not finding pathetic avenues of showing they have power to can what individuals do on their own property.

  8. Once again our local governments stand over property owners. So what if its a racetrack. The owner has built it on HIS land, not councils. The owner has paid all the cost from HIS pocket. It has not in anyway shape or form cost ratepayers any money. nor has it received any complaints from nearby residents. So what is councils problem? If anybody on council has any brains, they should be working with the landowner and turn this whole thing into a positive and welcomed facility. That is IF the landholder wants to expand. I personally think it would be a great asset for motoring enthusiasts on the Tweed. Lets hope commonsense prevails. By the way, I would love to have a lap or two around this “farm road”. It looks fantastic.

  9. If it’s private land, nobody can tell that guy anything. If he wants to race tractors or F1 cars that’s his prerogative isn’t it? I’m from the UK and that is the kind of bs they try and pull over here. Pathetic really.

  10. So what if the farmer cuts laps around his farm road all day? He’s just being very attentive about checking his cows every couple of minutes! 😉

  11. The problem is that he didn’t seek council approvals and therefor the greedy sewer rats that nanny us into submission missed out on extracting every last cent from this land owner. He will be sble to keep his ‘farm road’ but he will have to pay the greedy sniveling pigs that rule us like we can’t possibly get through each day without their protection from ourselves. And he will have to pay lots, then gst on that lots and stamp duty on that.

  12. It’s his land for crying out loud! he can do what he likes!
    the council can go jump! They cant tell him what to do on his land!
    I’m sure people tractors and farm equipment also mowers/ chainsaws and wiper snipers dont need council approval to operate.
    The marxist communist greenie tweed council need replacing with people that want to create businesses and create jobs for the area instead of shutting bussiness down!

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