Why is the council so committed to approving a motorcycle racing complex when they do not listen to local ratepayers who have many unanswered questions in reguards to this racing facility.

Only two days after the passing of one of our objectors to the facility, who lived 100m from the track, the council received a review of the operating hours of the motorcycle track, asking for the operating hours to be more than tripled from 30 days to 108 days.

Residents within a 3km radius were advised of the first development application for 30 days of operation, but only about five residents were notified of the review being submitted for 108 days. We were notified a week before the submissions had to be submitted. We managed to organise ourselves and submit our objections, then were advised by the council that we would be notified in due course when the meeting for a decision would be held.

Not to our surprise, a meeting was held on Tuesday night, February 2, with not one resident who submitted their objections notified. What about the residents of the 3km radius? The residents only found out after the meeting what decision had been made without any representation from the objectors, yet the Goulburn Motorcycle Club had many representative present.

From the beginning the residents have only asked for an independent noise assessment that did not involve council employees and the Goulburn Motorcycle Club. This has not been done.

An assessment was conducted at our property last year with the assistance of council employees. In the State Government regulations it clearly states that a noise assessment should include topography and weather conditions for an accurate recording. On this particular day the motorbikes ran for 10 minutes with the wind in a westerly direction. This facility is south of us, so this was not an accurate recording.

We do hear the speedway, but it has been in its location longer than we have. The hours they run are only 40 hours per year; the Goulburn Motorcycle Club want to run up to 2500 hours per year.

The residents are absolutely disgusted that a major decision like this could be made with not one objector being notified. How convenient.

Belinda and Colin Eggins, Goulburn.