The plug has seemingly been pulled on the logical replacement for Sandown Raceway, with the developers for the new circuit at Pakenham withdrawing from the project.

As reported in the Pakenham Gazette, Podium 1’s planned Cardinia Motor Recreation & Education Complex has been put on the backburner, with Cardinia Shire Council Mayor Brett Owen stating that the tender to build the facility will be reopened shortly.

The Mayor also noted that existing planning permissions for the site would be carried over.

The planning approval for the project’s first stage was rubber-stamped by the Council in August last year, with expectations of a total construction time of two and a half years.

That initial permission allowed for a 3.6km long FIA/FIM grade circuit, complete with a 33 garage pit complex, topped with a hospitality area and viewing deck.

With early renders produced by Apex Circuit Design, the company behind the redesign of Sydney Motorsport Park, as well as Hampton Downs and numerous other facilities, the track was to be divisible into two shorter layouts, with provision made for a 1.4km rallycross loop and drag racing.

All told, the venture was also to include a 900m CIK International Karting Circuit, a driver training centre, private car storage and the potential for future commercial developments.

Plans featured a 140-bed four-star hotel, complete with restaurant, bar, function rooms, wellness centre and pool.

The concept also included international-spec shooting facilities, with a 50m indoor range and an outdoor clay target range.

The expectation was for the venue to host between five and ten events a year, with enough space to cater to 60,000 spectators.

Welcome to downtown Pakenham.

Earlier this year, The Race Torque visited the proposed site, which sits on the eastern fringe of Melbourne, a 50-minute drive from the CBD on the route towards Phillip Island.

The subject area is currently utilised for true grassroots motorsport by the Pakenham Auto Club with its motorkhana grounds, as well as the Koo Wee Rup Motorcycle Club, with a non-competitive series of tracks, catering from Pee Wees to motorcross.

Interestingly, for a greenfield circuit development, it is located in a popular new residential development area, with fresh housing estates in Officer South currently being developed around 2km away to the west, while existing residences are situated within 1.25km of the site to the north, albeit on the other side of the busy Princes Freeway.

In 2018, the Cardinia Shire posted the block for sale with a price tag of $3,000,000, with a Council entering into a Heads of Agreement contract with Podium 1 on May 28th.

A $300,000 deposit was paid, with development to commence within 12 months of the development approval date.

At the time, the development plans saw significant work put forward on various fronts, including environmental considerations and provisions for a future extension of Greenhills and Thompsons Roads, as seen in the header image.

Although the first iterations of costings for a facility in the area were tabbed with a $30million price tag, later estimates for the final proposal came in at $200million.

Sandown Future

Back in March, we noted a report where Sandown Raceway was set to be turned into 7,500 new homes, with the venue said to be costing its custodian, the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC), $5million a year.

However, those plans may have been turned on their head with the Victorian State Government set to introduce from July 1^st 2022 a windfall gains tax, with the total value rise from a rezoning decision taxed at 50% for windfalls above $500,000.

In essence, this move could have the potential to attract a $200million tax bill for the MRC.

How this change alters the operational life of Sandown, it remains to be seen.