General News
19 January, 2023
Event Centre works to begin
Work on the new Rainbow Rises Events Centre is to begin next month, after a total of $625,000 of funding was secured last year to upgrade the site and facilities. Hindmarsh Shire Council said civil works contractors will begin building a new access...
Work on the new Rainbow Rises Events Centre is to begin next month, after a total of $625,000 of funding was secured last year to upgrade the site and facilities.
Hindmarsh Shire Council said civil works contractors will begin building a new access road and pit area at the site, which will eliminate potential conflicts of interests between the GrainCorp storage facility and race organisers.
“A new 200 metre by 100 metre limestone-base pit area will be created at the rear of the existing GrainCorp bunker on Rainbow Rises Road,” council said in a statement.
“This will initially serve as a pit area for the staging of off-road racing events such as the ARB Big Desert 480 and the Rainbow Rises 240.
“The pit area will be accessed by a new limestone road with access east of the GrainCorp bunker on Rainbow Rises Road.”
Rainbow Rises Events Centre Committee chairperson Russell Eckermann said the committee had a vision for the site to be used for more than just motorsport.
“We have been talking with Landcare about native revegetation,” Mr Eckermann said.
“I have spoken to RV clubs about visiting in the future, and we have explored perhaps opening the site for drone flights, claybird shooting, and the pony club."
Hindmarsh Shire Council said additional improvements would include a small administrative building, a kitchen and canteen, toilets and showers. Water supply will be connected, and a generator will be installed onsite to power the facility.
“It is expected that the Rainbow Rises Events Centre will become an invaluable community asset, capable of staging all manner of large-scale events in addition to the existing motorsport activities,” they said.
“With additional future events set to attract even more visitors to Rainbow, this project will provide an important boost to the local economy.
“Further to this, with local contractors set to undertake the works, and limestone material being sourced within the district, this will be a fantastic project for locals, by locals.”
The Rainbow Argus contacted the Australian Tractor Pullers Association and can confirm that they are interested in organising and hosting a tractor pulling event at the Rainbow Rises Events Centre some time in the future.
The $625,000 of funding was announced in April of last year and consists of a $500,000 grant from round two of the Victorian Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund and a $125,000 grant from Hindmarsh Shire Council.
Further information regarding Council’s development of the project is available through project coordinator Simon Landrigan on 5391 4444, or email slandrigan@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au