V8 race to cost Hamilton $7m, resource consent still needed 

The cost of bringing the streets of Hamilton up to scratch to host a V8 Supercar event will be up to $7 million, the city's council said today.

Ratepayers will foot the bill, with Hamilton City Council saying the money had been set aside in council's long term community plan. The estimate was on the high side of what it might cost, council communications manger Philip Burton said.

The investment will be used to transform the area around the streets of Frankton from a sleepy suburban village to an international racetrack capable of hosting up to 200,000 spectators.

Council communications manger Philip Burton pointing said one of the factors that had tipped the event Hamilton's way had been the willingness of the council to apply for the resource consents, rather than leaving the process in the hands of the promoters or Australia's V8 Supercar governing body.

Hamilton Mayor Michael Redman today conceded the bid still needed to gain resource consent approval.

He said: "Our total focus now goes on to the resource consent process and working with the people on or around the circuit that have real or perceived issues with the impact that the race might have.

"We're very excited. It's a great coup for us but we're also realistic that we haven't got anything until we get the consent."

He said Hamilton would not face problems which prevented Auckland and Wellington - previous bidders for the race - from gaining consent.

The track is earmarked for Tristram, Ward, Seddon, King, High, Empire, Haig, Hall, and Mill Sts. It will run past rugby's Waikato Stadium and cricket's Westpac Stadium.

Features include the Frankton overbridge and a pedestrian underpass around pit-lane, which will take in the rugby fields around Fraser Tech Rugby Club and Waikato Stadium's number two ground.

The council is today conducting a mail drop to 2200 residents and businesses throughout Frankton to inform them of the event planned from 2008.

Affected ratepayers will read about the resource consent process and will be invited to make a submission in favour or in opposition to the event.

Mr Burton said an engineer's roading report was pending, and the consent process would begin once information from that report was complete.

He said the report would be ready within several weeks, and predicted the consent process would be over within four to six months.

Dean Calvert of race organisers CSM said: "Our strong preference and in fact our agreement with V8 Supercars Australia is for a street circuit from 2008 and we are very excited when we were approached by Hamilton City Council.

"We continue to be impressed with the vision and capability of the Hamilton City Council, both political, representative and staff. They've done a great job in securing the event for the city and we are sure Hamilton's involvement will take V8 Supercars to a new level in New Zealand."

- additional reporting NZPA