THE future of Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway appears to be stable, with the circuit’s custodians, the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC), reappointing its Executive Committee for another year.
Led by Chairman John Kanga, the existing committee was put in place with a mandate to protect the Sandown venue, which has been at the centre of attention in recent years, following a push to rezone the 112-hectare site.
“I congratulate my colleagues Alison Saville and Frank Pollio on joining me in re-election to the Executive Committee,” Kanga said.
“We have saved racing at Sandown, reinstated the Caulfield Mounting Yard to its rightful place in front of the winning post, and halted an unnecessary $240 million grandstand at Caulfield.
“We have also negotiated a $195 million sale of excess land to eliminate debt and re-invest in racing, while introducing more affordable food, beverage, admission pricing and memberships, and prioritising participants and owners.
“Our job is not finished, and we will continue to ensure that the MRC remains financially strong, with an ongoing focus on the needs of members, participants and racing enthusiasts.”
The venue hit the headlines in May 2019 with news of the MRC seeking to gain an amendment to the planning scheme to rezone the block, which has been noted by the Victorian State Government as being a strategic opportunity for future housing.
In May last year, public consultation was sought for input over Sandown’s future.
Throughout the planning process, the MRC has noted that it is merely exploring possible uses of the site, with the ultimate decision over the venue’s future to be decided by the club’s membership base.
“The process to rezone the land does not impact existing horse racing, motor racing, driver training or other site uses,” notes the MRC’s website.
“Ongoing consultation will be undertaken with MRC members, industry participants, impacted stakeholders, Greater Dandenong City Council, State Government departments and the local community through every stage of the process.”
The following week, on November 14-16, the Repco Supercars Championship returns with the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.
As the penultimate event of the season, the round is set to finalise the final four who will contend for the title at the bp Adelaide Grand Final.
All told, the facility is permitted to host five motorsport race events annually, which in 2025 consists of the Supercars, the Shannons SpeedSeries, Historic Sandown and two Victorian State Racing Series events.