Premier Speedway would like to clarify its position on camping in the public car parks and grounds of Premier Speedway which will be enforced from the commencement of the 2023/24 season.
While Premier Speedway has signs clearly located on the grounds that camping is not permitted, patrons have gone against these instructions. In recent years the volume of patrons camping in the car parks has rapidly increased with patrons arriving from the Thursday prior to the ‘Classic’.
The duration of the 2023 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic had over 100 Caravans and Campers set up between the Allansford and Warrnambool side car parks.
Camping at Premier Speedway is against Council Local Laws. While the Warrnambool Council has been very accommodating to not take action, the risks of permitting it have been discussed through recent dialogue with the Warrnambool Council. These regulations include “No owner or occupier of private land may, without a permit, place, or permit or suffer the placement of, more than one caravan on that land for the purposes of providing accommodation”.
Premier Speedway has arrangements in place with the neighbouring properties on both sides of the venue which is on the premise of needing the land for our larger events to accommodate cars for attending patrons. Without these obliging arrangements, we could not provide sufficient car parking. Furthermore, the arrangement is not to turn their paddocks into a campground nor does our insurance cover this type of activity.
While insurance is a key concern, Premier Speedway must act in a responsible manner for the health, safety and hygiene of our patrons. The large increase in camping is something which Premier Speedway do not have the facilities and resources to accommodate the demand that now exists.
Following the 2023 ‘Classic’ Premier Speedway facilitated a patron survey which returned a great response. A key frustration from many patrons was the amount of room caravans and campers took, in particular, due to the limited parking spaces on the Allansford side.
The Premier Speedway board assembled a working group to investigate the various options available. The Board recently met to consider the findings and subsequently made the decision to not allow campers and caravans of any type into the grounds at Premier Speedway.
While we understand some patrons may be inconvenienced with this decision it is done with the best interests in mind to ensure a safe environment for patrons and our volunteers. Premier Speedway has a duty of care that the board concluded could not confidently be in place with the large influx of caravans and campers the club is experiencing at the venue stated club President Richard Parkinson. “The events are run by a loyal group of volunteers whose focus must remain on executing successful events” said Parkinson.
Mayor Debbie Arnott who was consulted as part of the discussions said “Warrnambool City Council supports the decision by Premier Speedway to not allow camping on their site.”
The policy will become effectively immediately where oversized and long patron vehicles will not be permitted entry into the venue.
Accommodation remains available in Warrnambool for the Grand Annual Classic (Jan. 19, 20 & 21, 2024) and the Australian Sprintcar Championship (Jan. 26&27, 2024). We encourage patrons who have previously camped onsite to be proactive and identify an alternative that suits their needs. Additionally, we remain in discussions with public venues to provide alternate accommodation options. Any additional options will be published in due course.
If you require assistance with finding and booking accommodation please visit https://book.bookeasy.com/agent/premier-speedway/9741311/ or call the Warrnambool Tourist Information centre on 1800 637 725.
If you have any further questions please consult our Frequently Asked Questions through the following link; https://premierspeedway.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FAQ_Camping-policy.pdf