A Queensland man’s Federal Court challenge against the South Australian government’s MotoGP circuit has been discontinued.
Joshua Hogan lodged action in the Federal Court in September seeking a permanent injunction against the proposed $96 million Adelaide circuit, which will require the removal of nearly 400 trees and is due to begin construction in December.
But at a brief hearing on Thursday morning, Judicial Registrar Michael Buckingham said the proceedings “were going to be discontinued”.
Asked if any of the parties had anything to add, Mr Hogan said: “I’m fine, I just want to get this over my depression’s pretty bad.”
Judicial Registrar Buckingham replied that he understood and he “hoped this proceeding would come to an end for everyone’s sake very quickly”.
The state and federal governments are not seeking costs from Mr Hogan.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the SA government was “very grateful” Mr Hogan’s case had been discontinued.
“[This is] another legal hurdle that we’ve now overcome when it comes to the MotoGP circuit development,” he said.
Mr Hogan had lodged his application against the development of the Adelaide Circuit in the federal court in Brisbane. (ABC News: Rachel Riga)
A separate legal challenge to the circuit by the South East City Residents Association (SECRA) remains ongoing.
The SA Supreme Court today set down a hearing for the matter on November 17, according to SECRA president David Klingberg.
Mr Klingberg said the discontinuation of the Queensland Federal Court challenge “doesn’t affect” SECRA’s case, which is based on the state government’s powers under the Motorsport Act.
“Clearly … the government doesn’t have the power to cut down trees,” Mr Klingberg said.
“The Act is all about promoting motorsports and our view is they can do that to their heart’s content on existing infrastructure.”
Mr Malinauskas, asked if he was confident that state government could overcome the SECRA legal challenge, said: “I hope so, but I never pre-empt the outcomes of courts.”
“We’ve done all the work, we’ve done it as thoroughly as possible, we’ve worked really hard to engage with local communities, the … Conservation Council to get a good outcome here,” he said.
“People are entitled to take up whatever action they so choose, it’s part of a healthy liberal democracy and a functioning judicial system.
“That’s oversight that we’re not against, we welcome it.”
MotoGP is due to be hosted in Adelaide in November 2027.
Source: www.abc.net.au
