Motorsport at Beachmere? Your input urgently needed

40 minutes ago
6 min read

A Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID-0326-1001) has been lodged with the Queensland Government’s Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning by Corbet’s Group. The proposal seeks approval for a major motorsport facility at Beachmere comprising speedway, motocross and driver training facilities.

The development would host approximately 45 motorsport events annually, attract around 25,000 spectators to major events, and require extensive earthworks including approximately 350,000 cubic metres of fill on a flood-prone site.

There is a very short window for public consultation on this, so we are asking all BIEPA members to lodge a submission well before the looming deadline on 25th June 2026.

To help everyone submit their objections in time, this article explains how to lodge a submission and gives some tips on what to include in it.

The number of objections is critical: the important thing is to get in as many properly made submissions as possible, to clearly demonstrate the breadth and depth of community sentiment. Bribie Island residents have a strong track record of making unusually large numbers of submissions — keep up the good work!

Why this is important

Our Association's objects require an objection to this proposed Motorsport Park. It continues a trend for Queensland State Government to make decisions outside of planning systems that have been designed in consultation with communities. By using a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) process, the assessment and decision-making undermines agreed planning considerations and public scrutiny.

MID approval pathways are to be used for public infrastructure developments such as critical health facilities, not for privately operated entertainment venues. The noise and other ongoing pollution impacts will be severe. The environmental concerns are significant, with habitat, wetlands and waterways impacted. Forever!

Please review the information below carefully and submit your own objection. Submissions that simply reproduce the same information may not be considered as individual objections. Make your objection as personal as possible and adapt the information provided with your own flavour and words where possible. Even changing the order will make it more likely that your submission is considered. Start your submission with an introduction about you, where you live and generally why you are concerned. Then add detail.

Thanks for doing this. Beachmere is only down the road, and letting the State Government know you object to the process and the detail of the proposal is important to ensure our region is protected now and in the future.

How to lodge your submission

Follow these steps:

Open the submission form at: https://planning.dsdmip.qld.gov.au/infrastructure-designation/submission/new/e7511131-2324-f111-8341-6045bdc3f566
Fill in your details.
Add your objections in the Comments box (it will hold up to 4000 characters).
If your submission is longer, attach it as a file in the relevant space.
Complete the Declaration.

Please be sure to meet the conditions for your submission to be accepted.

What to put in your submission

It's best to prepare your submission in a document on your computer and then copy-and-paste it onto the submission form, so that you don't lose it all if the form goes wrong. If it's longer than the 4,000 character limit, put a summary on the form and attach the full version as supporting documentation.

Submission template

You may copy and paste this for your submission. If you edit the text, check that it's still within the 4,000 character limit.

I strongly object to the proposed Moreton Motorsport Park (MID-0326-1001) at Beachmere and request that the Queensland Government refuse the proposal or require substantially more assessment before any approval is considered.

The proposal represents a major intensification of land use in a rural-coastal area and is inconsistent with the character, environmental values and community expectations of the Beachmere region. The development would introduce speedway, motocross and driver training facilities into an area valued for its quiet lifestyle, natural environment and low levels of traffic and disturbance.

The scale of the proposal is significant, including approximately 16 speedway events and 29 motocross events each year, with major events expected to attract around 25,000 attendees annually. This level of activity is far beyond what would normally be expected in a rural and coastal community.

A major concern is the location of the facility on a flood-prone site. The development requires approximately 350,000 cubic metres of imported fill and extensive earthworks. Such substantial modification of the landscape raises concerns about flood storage capacity, drainage patterns, stormwater management and downstream flooding impacts. Independent assessment should demonstrate that flood behaviour will not be worsened and that neighbouring properties and waterways will not be adversely affected.

Traffic impacts are also likely to be substantial. Beachmere Road is the principal access route for local residents, businesses, schools and emergency services. Major events have the potential to create congestion, safety risks and delays that are out of proportion to the existing function of the road network. The proponent should be required to demonstrate that the road system can safely accommodate the projected demand.

The proposal would also affect community amenity. Many residents have chosen to live in Beachmere, Ningi and surrounding areas because of the area's peaceful rural-coastal lifestyle. Regular speedway and motocross events would bring ongoing noise, lighting, spectator activity and increased traffic. These impacts would become a regular feature of life for nearby communities.
Noise is a particular concern. While Beachmere residents are likely to experience the greatest effects, impacts may also extend into Ningi, Sandstone Point and parts of Bribie Island.

The environmental impacts of increased human activity, noise, lighting, vegetation disturbance and stormwater runoff also warrant careful scrutiny. The proposal should be assessed for cumulative impacts when combined with ongoing development pressures across the Moreton Bay region.

The proposal appears inconsistent with planning principles that seek to protect rural character, community amenity, environmental values and sustainable land-use outcomes. Approval would establish a significant precedent for further intensive development in a landscape valued for its natural and rural-coastal qualities.

For these reasons, I respectfully request that MID-0326-1001 be refused. At a minimum, comprehensive independent assessment should be undertaken of flooding, traffic, noise, environmental and cumulative impacts before any approval is considered. The protection of community amenity, environmental values and the rural-coastal character of the Beachmere region should take precedence over the establishment of a major motorsport facility in this location.

General guidelines and structure

You don't need to be a planning expert or lawyer to make a valid submission. The State Government must consider all properly made submissions from community members. Personal observations, local knowledge, and concerns about the future of the area are all important.

Guidelines

The most effective submissions are usually:

written in your own words—personal submissions often carry more weight when they sound genuine and reflect your own experiences and concerns;
respectful and clear;
refer to planning and environmental issues where possible;
focused on issues that personally concern you; and
specific rather than general—use local examples and personal experience.

Structure

State your position clearly; start by saying you object to the proposal and want it refused.
Explain why you are concerned.
Choose the issues most important to you; you do not need to include everything.
Personal impacts matter; explain how the proposal would affect you personally or why you value the area (some examples below).
Finish clearly; end by asking for the proposal to be refused.

Suggested talking points

Pick any of these for your own submission, but try to paraphrase them in your own words. You don't have to include them all! Just pick a few that resonate.

Planning and Character

The proposed motorsport park is inconsistent with the established rural-coastal character of Beachmere and would introduce an intensive urban-scale activity into an area valued for its quiet lifestyle, open landscapes and natural environment.
The scale of the proposal, including 16 speedway events and 29 motocross events each year, is excessive for the locality and would fundamentally change the character and amenity of the surrounding area.
Approval would establish a precedent for further intensive commercial and recreational development, making it more difficult to protect the rural and environmental values of the district in the future.

Traffic and Infrastructure

Beachmere Road is the primary access route for local residents, schools, businesses and emergency services and may not have the capacity to safely accommodate the additional traffic generated by major motorsport events.
The proposal is expected to generate substantial increases in traffic and heavy vehicle movements, creating potential congestion, road safety concerns and impacts on local communities.

Flooding and Water Quality

The site is located within a flood-prone landscape and requires approximately 350,000 cubic metres of imported fill and extensive earthworks, raising concerns about altered flood behaviour, drainage patterns and flood storage capacity.
Increased stormwater runoff, sediment movement and pollutants from vehicle-related activities could adversely affect waterways that ultimately connect to Moreton Bay and the Pumicestone Passage.

Environment

Noise, lighting, increased human activity and habitat disturbance have the potential to affect wildlife, ecological corridors and environmental values across the wider Beachmere–Ningi–Bribie Island region.
The proposal should not be approved until cumulative impacts on biodiversity, waterways, community amenity and the broader environment have been comprehensively assessed.

Community Amenity

Many residents have chosen to live in Beachmere, Ningi and surrounding areas because of the quiet rural-coastal lifestyle. Regular speedway and motocross events, spectator activity, traffic and noise would significantly reduce the amenity and enjoyment of these communities.