For almost half-a-decade the region has been touted as a future home of Victorian motorsport, with Confederation of Australian Motor Sport chief executive Eugene Arocca telling The Courier in 2016 the peak body would even considering moving its headquarters from Melbourne to a new Ballarat facility. 

While a plan for the precinct has been completed council is still yet to locate a premises, despite narrowing down a shortlist in September 2016.  

Mr Arocca spoke with council officers as recently as a month ago and was informed there had been no movement on finalising a space.  He said while CAMS remained supportive of a Ballarat precinct, the council needed to move fast to ensure it wasn’t overtaken by other municipalities eagre to secure a facility. 

“We have been involved with Ballarat from the start with the need for a proposal and it seems like it would be a pity that the land issue would hold this up,” Mr Arocca said.  “There's an election coming up in a year’s time but if you haven't got a plan and a block it makes it hard to lobby.

“We'd urge (council) to fast track that process to make sure the project doesn't go cold.”  

Victorian racing authorities are on the hunt for another motorsport facility due to the potential closure of Sandown near Springvale in the coming decade.  

The site in Melbourne’s south-east has long been mooted for residential housing, leaving just Phillip Island and Winton Raceway near Wangaratta as Victorian options for V8 racing.  

In February the Mildura Rural City Council released its full business case and staged development plan for a motorsport facility in the north of the state, while another proposal is expected for Melbourne’s east in the coming weeks.  

Mr Arocca said while Ballarat remained the best possible location for V8 racing, he was concerned the project would be put on hold if other motorsport proposals gained state funding.  “The next track that's built to the right specifications will almost certainly get a V8 race.”

The required land size to accommodate the project is between 240-300 hectares and is expected to cost at least $35 million to complete. 

Ballarat City councillor and council regional motorsports facility committee member Grant Tillett said while the concept was a strong one, it was not a council or state government funding priority. 

Cr Tillett said the committee had conducted just one meeting since new councillors were elected in November.  “On the list of things most councillors would see as being important, it's going to be fairly well down towards the bottom.”

Fellow councillor and committee member Ben Taylor agreed the facility was a long way from fruition, saying “it’s a matter of finding a space and then finding out exactly what we need before going to state government for funding.”