This summer will be the final speedway season at Western Springs.
Photo: Photosport

Almost 100 years of speedway racing at Western Springs is coming to an end after an Auckland council vote to move all racing to Onehunga.

However, the process to get there has been called a debacle, with a derailed council meeting, claims of misrepresentation and a split council vote.

Things got muddled last week when a report to the Auckland council’s governing body meeting suggested Speedway New Zealand supported the move to Waikaraka Park, Onehunga.

During the meeting Councilor John Watson tabled a letter from Speedways New Zealand stating they had been misrepresented.

Speedway New Zealand President Lani Thompson said Morning report on Thursday he had since met with the mayor to discuss what had happened.

“We actually didn’t intend to completely derail that meeting, but that’s how it ended up,” she said.

The organization wanted to be clear about their position.

“We did not have the mandate to support the closure of Western Springs, but we absolutely and wholeheartedly support the investment in Waikaraka Park.”

By Wednesday, the decision was finally made – the highway was moving and the council would invest $11 million in upgrades to Waikaraka Park.

Thompson said the final decision came as a shock.

“We haven’t had the time or opportunity to actually survey our members to find out what they think about consolidating and closing one of our oldest and most beloved tracks.”

Supporters of the move said the city had been planning to strengthen Auckland’s freeway for at least 10 years.

They also said the park loses $1.1 million a year to taxpayers.

Councilor Kerrin Leoni voted in favor of the move and said she was aware of discussions going back to 2018.

“There’s been a lot of consultation around the process, and really at some point we just have to make decisions for our city — and that’s what we were elected to do,” she said.

Councilor John Watson was one of eight who voted against the move. Speaking further Report at noontook a different position.

“Yesterday’s decision was absolutely disgusting. Western Springs Speedway has been there for almost a century – it’s an internationally acclaimed venue – and instead they’re being evicted, diverted to Waikaraka Park,” he said.

Watson thought the trial was an ambush.

“There is a real feeling in the community that this is a jack-up, it was brought in through the back door.”

He said the people who were most affected didn’t have a chance to contribute to the outcome and the highway was only losing money because of the constraints imposed by the council at Western Springs.

However, Leoni said the lease is running out anyway, and she voted to move to help the city in the future.

“The longer we continue to delay these decisions, the more there will be a huge cost to the taxpayer.”

On the streets of Auckland, people weren’t sure it was the right move.

Among them was Bruce Lupton, who thought the move was a terrible idea. He had been on the highway for 40 years.

“I think it’s a big waste of money when you have a perfect stadium here that’s been here for so long.”

But Lupton admitted he would likely follow the sport in the new stadium.

Speedway is expected to be installed at Waikaraka Park for the 2025-26 season.