Update

 

Thursday 21st April

FRIENDS OF LAKESIDE/ SAVE LAKESIDE

Lakeside removed from the Queensland Heritage Register

 

The fact that Lakeside International Raceway has been removed from the Queensland Heritage Register is an absolute disgrace. The Mayor, the councillors of the Pine Rivers Shire Council(PRSC) need to hang their heads in shame this is a total desecration to all who stand written into the history of this Australian Icon. I am considering calling for a public inquiry.

We must ask to begin with for the Premier's Ministerial intervention at the highest level, to have Lakeside returned to the Heritage Register we need a minimum of 500 signed letters (see below). I am aware of the beaurocratic bungle in this case it seems this is the basis of the capitulation of the Crown Law and the Queensland Heritage Council to the Pine Rivers Shire Council(PRSC), I feared that the council's legal advisors had well studied all of the heritage documents as they would not have pursued the objection to heritage had the opportunity of success been stacked against them.

The consequences of losing such a significant heritage icon on a Australian national level besides the Queensland perspective is disasterous. The International history of Lakeside is immense, the two Australian Grand Prix's and the International Tasman Series held in the sixties with several Formula One World Champion drivers, along with the 40 years of National Championship events is not something that Australian motorsport should have bulldozed.

I am committed to keeping Lakeside alive for future generations to enjoy. We must be able to look back where we have come from. With so few Internationally renowned motor racing circuits from the sixties left standing in Australia we must be even more dedicated and persistant in getting Lakeside returned to the Queensland Heritage Register.

Warwick Farm, Longford, Surfers Paradise International Raceway from the Tasman Internatinoal Series era are long gone, and the future of Oran Park is not good, Lakeside would have stood alone in to the future history of Australian motorsport, it is truly a tragedy to lose the security of heritage that would have kept Lakeside standing.

This is the most gut-retching experience I have had to deal with in long time. I had my doubts having another love of my life in my world of aviation WWII Warbirds. I have witnessed the total destruction of the largest of all the heritaged World War Two hangars in Brisbane (Archerfield) having being bulldozed after it was delisted from the Heritage Register, in my opinion on a 'bad' engineers report.

The fears I have is the PRSC immediate moves to change Town Planning Zoning which the Provisional listing having prevented them from doing so, now they could be free to move on rezoning Lakeside away from a Motorsport category. Furthermore I am not sure the PRSC are going to wait until 1st May 2010 before they could start up the bulldozers. The fact they persist in keeping Lakeside business in these Strategic confidential meetings away from Council General Meetings is of great concern the report on the basis of safety leads me to believe they too could get an engineers safety report condemming a number of the facilities/ structures of Lakeside to total destruction, effective immediately.

In our founding vision the mission statement "Save Lakeside, Keeping Lakeside alive, Dedicated to making Lakeside the Heritage Home of Motorsport in Queensland" still stands. We will still work towards a 2006 "45 years Lakeside International Historic Festival" along with the "25th Anniversary of Dick Johnson's 1981 first of five Australian Touring Car Championships" won at Lakeside.

The fact that this project to date would've cost somewhere in the vicinity of $30,000 I am quite sure all our supporters who have invested heavily in to this project simply do not want their money back only the re-instatement of the Heritage. I will renew my correspondence to the National Trust Heritage Council I believe placing Lakeside on to the Australian Heritage Council register along with some other endeavours re-nominating Lakeside to be placed on to the Australian (Queensland) National Trust Icon list. I believe the Australian Council Heritage Acts can help re-instate Lakeside to its rightful heritage place. I will be doing a submission on the review of the EPA on several aspects of heritage, to hopefully assist our endeavours in the future.

 

To assist us further write your letter to The Premier of Queensland for Ministerial intervention and to the Minister of the EPA, Local Planning, Desley Boyle for the re-instatement of Lakeside International Raceway on to the Queensland Heritage Register. Please ensure your letter contains your correct name, address, contact details along with your signature, addressed to Executive Building, George Street, Brisbane, 4000.

Please advise us by email confirmation of your name and contact details.

 

 

 

Trevor (Shelby) Beutel

Mobile 0418 789 307