Every pole a winner Turf club step closer to holding night racing
THE Gold Coast Turf Club is on track to host night racing after a council planning committee yesterday gave the green light for light towers.
The committee ticked off on an officer’s recommendation to approve 50 light poles, ranging in height from 15m to almost 30m.
An officer’s report said the smaller pole lights would be built with a setback of at least 100m from nearby homes at Crombie Avenue, Bundall.
Officers employed a lighting expert to conduct an assessment to ensure the lights would comply with current regulations and were at a “tolerable” level.
The recommendations from officers include an acoustic barrier to limit the impacts on residents. The application did not receive any objections.
The officer’s report said the turf club would not add more race days, rather move day races to the evening.
“The development does not expect a large number of patrons as the proposal’s primary purpose is for broadcasting,” the report said.
The conditions set out by officers include turning off the lights at 11pm and a maximum of two races to be staged in the hour before the curfew.
The turf club is likely to host races on Friday and possibly Wednesday nights to fit in with Sydney’s racing timetable in a move which would help improve betting turnover.
Planning committee chairman Cameron Caldwell, outside the meeting, told the Bulletin: “The approval of these lights is a big step forward to us offering night racing on the Gold Coast.
“As we know, the racing industry is a big part of tourism and local economy. This will certainly be a shot in the arm for the racing industry on the Coast.”
Gold Coast Turf Club president Brett Cook welcomed the committee’s decision, which has to be signed off by all councillors at full council.
The lighting is part of a wider infrastructure improvement including a tunnel and upgrading training tracks costed at $38 million.
“The lighting which has gone through planning and full council, it’s only part of a whole upgrade process,” Mr Cook said.