27/01/2025
We are copping a lot of heat for the 2025 calendar and we know some of you are angry about the skinny event calendar for this year. I don’t think we deserve it, we really do want to put out a full calendar of events for you at Lakeside in 2025 - but can’t as yet. If you want to know why – read on.
This is a complex issue and, if you have the time, we believe you might find it interesting, and you have the right to know the full story of what has caused us to delete so many events from the 2025 calendar – for now. The problem we are facing might mean we have to suspend all events on the main track. Until we have formal approval from the Moreton Bay Regional Council on sound limits we can work with - everything is at risk. This includes our charity days and fun days as well as the competitive events. The following is a 5 minute read, but if you are interested - read on – then you will be informed.
NOISE and a bit of history:
On June 4th 2024 we were notified that MBRC had decided to change the way they would measure and enforce noise limits at Lakeside. We were not consulted or given any notice that this was to happen. In fact we were not invited to participate in the process at any stage. We feel like “whoever” went behind our backs, got yet another consultant (unnamed) to report on the matter in order to damage Lakeside. We do not know what the brief to the consultant was, but they reported to the council that in future it should be enforcing noise limits on the basis of LMax and not LEq.
What does that mean? The difference is that LMax is measured every second and the Leq is averaged over a period of time – in the case of Lakeside the LEq was 15 minutes; when we signed the deal to invest millions of dollars in Lakeside in 2007, that LEq was to be averaged over a one hour period at the Nutley house - opposite Gate 2. When Denise Sims became the ward Councillor, Council decided that they should change the reference house and to use Mick Wilkinson’s house instead. That’s the one about 150 metres across the water opposite the Kink; and cut the Leq period back to 15 minutes.
To comply with the 15 minute restriction we had to stop all endurance racing and make the on-track activities fit into 12 minute chunks to ensure could comply with that restriction. That upset some of the customers as well as reduced the amount of fun we could deliver and dramatically dropped our revenues – but we battled on.
This was the reason that we had to cancel the Lakeside Classic events which featured Commodore and Falcon “Big Bangers”. Almost all historic racing cars refuse to come back to Lakeside because of the changes they would have to make to their “Period Perfect” cars. Those were really great events and a lot of people loved watching real live history while building new memories for their grandkids.
It is worth noting that, even after 16 years’ of operation, Lakeside has NEVER been accused of breaking the original regime at the original house. For the cynics - yes, there is (or maybe was) a measuring station on that property.
This specific issue, the LMax, was raised with the CEO of Moreton Bay Regional Council, Mr Scott Waters, shortly after the letter was received. He agreed we could continue to run the scheduled events until the matter was resolved. I asked for the chance to put our case to the full assembly of Councillors and the bureaucrats involved but that hasn’t happened as yet.
Roll on four months to October 15th. On that day we received an email from Scott Waters advising that there had been 187 breaches of the LMax levels. To be frank, I thought 187 seconds between June 4th and October 15th,, that’s less than a minute a month; was a bloody good result! The more so as nearly 2/3rds of the reported exceedances occurred during events that only had road registered vehicles on the track; e.g. All Aussie Day, Chrome Bar and Moto Ride Days and even the Blue Hope “Bronze by the Lake” charity event ALL had exceedances of the LMax. There is no information as to how many breaches occurred when Lakeside was not operating but at only 70dB there must have been some if not many. There is also no proof that the ones they did record came from Lakeside.
FYI: Road registered vehicles are regulated under the jurisdiction of the TMR and Qld Police. If somebody visits you with a loud exhaust, revs it up and upsets the neighbours you do not have the authority to impound their vehicles etc. You can only ask them to desist and leave your premises quietly. That is EXACTLY what we do whenever we believe a car is “over the top”. Some of you will already know this is true having been asked to leave quietly on occasion.
FACT: Lakeside is currently staring down the barrel of 187 potential fines for exceeding noise limits. There is no reason to believe that the Council is likely to prosecute the matter but, it is a risk Lakeside is facing. So, until we have an official letter saying they will not be prosecuting that is hanging over us. We had hoped that the matter would be resolved in a meeting with the Deputy Mayor and CEO that we believe was called for that purpose on November 28th. It did not happen as the meeting was hijacked to discuss other things.
Now I hope you can understand why we held back on publishing our 2025 calendar and seriously considered suspending everything on main track until we have the assurance that we can deliver events again. For now we have opted for a conservative approach until we know what is going to happen next.
You ask, “OK - so, what makes you think you can fix it ?” We have procured from Council a Development Approval to build a bund wall on top of the spectator mound from beside the caretaker’s cottage up to flag point #1. This has been calculated to reduce sound levels at the Wilkinson property by ~3dB. We are waiting on final approval from the Council to commence building that wall. We have a company ready to go within a few weeks after that approval comes through. We have been requesting that final letter of approval since June of last year; so we believe it must be close.
THAT IS THE GAME CHANGER WE ARE WAITING FOR.
There is a lot more to this story but we appreciate your patience in sticking with us so far already. We hope that you have some sympathy with why we have had to cut back the calendar – for now.
If you would like to show your support for Lakeside to the people who can help us get resolution we ask that you send a POLITE email or a post to the Meta/X accounts of some of the people listed below. Just explain what Lakeside means to you and your family and the value that Lakeside and its events bring to your lives and those you care about.
If you can do that, thank you in advance for making the public servants and our elected representatives understand that Lakeside means a lot to you; because of the memories it has made and should continue to make.
Sincerely, John Tetley
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CONTACTS:
David Crisafulli, Qld Premier [email protected]
Damien Walker, DG Premier and Cabinet [email protected]
Timothy Mander Minister for Sport & Racing, [email protected]
Jarrod Bleijie Minister for Infrastructure, [email protected]
Ann Leahy Minister for Local Government, [email protected]
Steven Miles (Leader of the Opposition) , [email protected]
Shane King (our Member & long time advocate), [email protected]
Scott Waters, CEO Moreton Bay, [email protected]
Peter Flannery Mayor, Moreton Bay, [email protected]
Jodie Shipway Dep Mayor, MBRC, [email protected]
Jim Moloney our Ward Councillor, [email protected]
