ORGANISERS of a potential Orange human powered vehicle (HVP) pedal prix are urging Orange City Council to commit to funding the project which could net the economy $3 million.
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The NSW HPV race committee will host delegates from the Australian International Pedal Prix on Tuesday who will arrive to inspect the proposed track at Gosling Creek and inform the committee about what is needed to bring it up to scratch.
NSW race committee public officer David de Bruyn is hoping the delegates and council will sign “some sort of contractual agreement” that will enable the committee a foundation on which to lobby for sponsorship.
The estimated cost to bring Gosling Creek up to standard and to host a leg of the pedal prix in Orange is about $75,000.
“It’s kind of like a chicken and the egg argument, we can’t get sponsorship until we get a commitment from council,” he said.
Interest in the sport in Orange is growing with Canobolas Rural Technology High School the latest to commit to funding a team which brings the total number of teams to five with two from Kinross Wolaroi School and two from James Sheahan Catholic High School.
Students were at Gosling Creek on Tuesday with their vehicles, which are worth upwards of $4000, to test the track.
Mr de Bruyn said it went well but there was a lot that needed to be done.
“It needs about $35,000 to make it race ready,” he said.
That includes widening of the track and obstacle removal.
He said Bloomfield Road would need to be closed off during the event because the road would have to be used for pit garages but if Orange did not seize the opportunity soon, another city would.
“There is an opportunity here and Orange needs to grab it with both hands,” Mr de Bruyn said.
Orange councillor Kevin Duffy had lobbied on the committee’s behalf and told council the competition should start next year, but there is no money allocated in the 2014/2015 budget and if the proposal was approved, the council would have to rely on donations to upgrade roads and host the 200 participants.
Council staff told councillors in October “Further investigation is required into the costs and requirements for the event and possible input by local interested parties”.
