A community group has accused the WA Government of “spinning” the results of public feedback on a proposed community hub and racetrack in Burswood, contradicting the government’s claims it has “significant” public support.
The $217 million development is set to include a 20,000-seat music bowl, function centre and motorsport circuit at Burswood Park and was a pre-election commitment.
A press release marking the end of the first part of the public consultation period claimed “76 per cent of all contributions provided positive ideas towards the project”.
But Save Burswood Park Alliance co-chair Dr Robyn Harvey said that was a disingenuous framing of the data.
She said the feedback form offered no option for rejecting the development, instead asking for ideas.
Robyn Harvey said the results were not an accurate reflection of community sentiment. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
“The online feedback did not allow you to simply say ‘no’ … so [the public] were saying things like ‘more trees’, ‘look after the wildlife’, ‘we want an urban forest’,” Dr Harvey said.
“So yes, there were lots of positive comments, but they certainly didn’t feed into the idea that we wanted a motor racing track.
She said data collected by her group suggested an overwhelming majority of people were against the new development.
Some of the feedback provided during the community drop-in sessions. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)
“We took photographic evidence and screenshots of the online and drop-in feedback every day … 85 per cent of respondents on the online feedback said ‘no racetrack’,” she said.
“At the drop-in centres it was even more, it was 98 per cent of post-it notes said ‘no racetrack’.”
According to the government’s Perth Entertainment and Sporting Precinct report, there were 672 contributions via the online consultation platform.
The state government said the racetrack would only be used once a year. (Supplied: WA Labor)
“In summary, stakeholders offered significant support for the PESP with the majority recognising opportunity for their industry, association or group and identifying with the wider vision for the precinct,” the report said.
“Opposition to the development centred around the use of the precinct for motorsport.”
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Parliamentary secretary to the Premier, Daniel Pastorelli, who has been involved in community drop-in sessions about the proposal, said the “positive ideas” received complemented the government’s proposal.
These included support for more hospitality venues, an urban forest and more trees.
“Things like more hospitality venues on the peninsula, things like an urban forest, people definitely want more trees in the park area,” Mr Pastorelli told ABC Radio Perth.
“Overall, the response that we’ve received has been quite positive.”
 “Obviously, some of the local residents are concerned about the motorsport element of the project, there’s no doubt about that, and we understand that completely.”
Mr Pastorelli said initial public concerns about the project were due to “misconceptions” the motorsport track would be used frequently, but he said it would only host a “one-off annual event”.
The proposal has faced pushback from residents and advocates of green space, and from the WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas, who has previously labelled the project a “wasteful” use of taxpayer dollars.
Basil Zempilas described the proposal as “wasteful”. (ABC News: Phoebe Pin)
Dr Harvey said she was opposed to the destruction of an inner-city green space.
“Even if they’re not racing on it [the race track], it destroys the park,” she said.
“The urban forest that they suggest is something they will look at, there is no room for it, where will it go?”
But Mr Pastorelli insisted the consultation had been “a constructive process” with many ideas advanced “that may be added to the project as we progress”.
A submission for the project is due to be made to the Environmental Protection Authority in coming weeks, and site investigations were underway.
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