MotoGP Circuit Plan Sparks Safety Concerns in Adelaide Parklands

A Queensland man, Joshua Hogan, has taken legal action to halt the South Australian government's plans for a MotoGP circuit in the Adelaide parklands, citing concerns about rider safety on the proposed track.

Mr. Hogan, a self-represented litigant, appeared in the Federal Court for the first time on Friday, arguing that the proposed MotoGP street circuit works, including tree removal, should be stopped.

Rider Safety Concerns

Mr. Hogan, a game developer who loves motorsport, told the court that he was concerned about the safety of riders on the proposed track, saying "What got me started is the safety of riders, their lives, because … they're not like a race car that has a cage or safety cells in it."

He added that riders "could possibly be killed in a situation if the track itself is not adequate to a Grade A safety standard in the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme)."

Proposed Circuit Design

The proposed 4.13-kilometre-long circuit, which revives elements of Adelaide's old Formula One track, has previously raised concerns about rider safety from former MotoGP world champion Wayne Gardner and motorsport journalists.

An SA government website states that the proposed circuit design was informed by "detailed collaboration" between the SA Motor Sport Board, FIM, MotoGP, and Supercars Australia, and included safety elements such as run-off areas, air fences, and marshals.

In a statement after the hearing, an SA government spokesperson said safety had been "paramount in the proposed circuit design, which has been informed by detailed collaboration".

The spokesperson added that experts in engineering, circuit design, and motorsport safety had been engaged to guide the design, including specialist input from former 125cc and 250cc World Champion and current MotoGP Safety Advisor Loris Capirossi and five-time Supercars champion Mark Skaife.

Legal Challenge

Mr. Hogan told the court that he had spent six months researching the Adelaide circuit and had found "a lot" of inconsistencies.

He argued that the execution of plans for the MotoGP development, without being referred to the Federal Minister for the Environment, would be a breach of federal conservation laws.

Alison Doecke KC, representing the SA government, told the court that the development had been referred to the federal minister and that the state government anticipated "a response to the first step of that referral" between October 21 and 23, after which "early works" on the circuit would commence.

Justice Erin Longbottom ordered Mr. Hogan and the SA government to file written submissions later this month.