This Act centralises a small set of legal concepts that structure how motor sports events will be authorised and managed. Key defined terms and constructs are: motor race authorisation (s 6(1); Schedule 3), event area and event period (s 5(1)(a)-(b)), promoter (s 5(1)(c); Schedule 3), government coordinating agency (Schedule 3; s 5(1)(e)), works approval and proposed works information (Division 2, s 13 and s 15), traffic management plan and traffic management area/period (s 24(1)), motor race event lane and motor race event lane permit (Subdivision 3, ss 25-27), authorised officer and authorised purposes (Part 3, ss 57, 58; Schedule 3), authorised activity (s 46), and affected person/affected land (s 13).
Promoter and promoter entitlement: the Minister’s order must identify the promoter who is entitled to apply for an authorisation (s 5(1)(c)). For Mount Panorama at Bathurst, s 5(1)(c)(i) fixes Bathurst Regional Council as the promoter; for other places the Minister selects the person. The promoter is both the applicant for authorisation/works approval and the central operational actor responsible for event conduct (s 12).
Government coordinating agency: the Minister must specify the government sector agency to coordinate government functions for the motor race in the Minister’s order (s 5(1)(e)); if no agency is specified the Office of Sport is the default (s 5 note and Schedule 3). The government coordinating agency advises the Minister, approves plans in some cases (s 8), gives directions to promoters (s 9), reviews conditions (s 7(4)-(5)), and may cancel authorisations for serious or ongoing non-compliance (s 10(2)).
Temporal and quantitative limits: an order lasts up to five years (s 5(2)(b)); motor race authorisations cannot be for more than five years (s 6(2)). Orders must not enable more than five Bathurst events per year or more than two motor races at another particular place in any year, reflecting a statutory cap on frequency (s 5(2)(c)). The Minister must undertake pre-order consultation with the Office of Sport and the relevant councils and make draft orders public with opportunity for submissions (s 5(5)).
Works approvals: distinct from authorisations, works approvals regulate physical works and require prescribed consultation with affected persons and authorities (ss 13-16). The scope of potentially approved works is broad and includes temporary infrastructure, signage, traffic control facilities, media and broadcast facilities, and removal of impediments to the race (s 17). Works approvals must be proportionate, only authorising works reasonably necessary for the event (s 17(2)), and may not authorise fencing off event area outside the event period except in limited circumstances (s 17(3)(a)).
Traffic and road control: promoters prepare traffic management plans in consultation with Transport for NSW, the relevant roads authority and Police (s 24(2)). Transport for NSW approval is required for the plan to take effect (s 24(4)). During the traffic management period, the Act displaces certain road transport and roads Act provisions (s 22, s 47), and authorises creation of event lanes and controlled closures (ss 25-31). The Act treats the traffic management area as a prescribed place for certain removal provisions under the Road Transport Act 2013 during the traffic management period (s 33(1)).
Entry, searches and exclusion regimes: within the event area, promoters and authorised officers can prohibit or regulate entry, impose search conditions as entry requirements (s 38), require production of tickets and inspection of articles (s 41), prohibit access to the track during a race (s 42), and give directions to leave and remove people (s 43). Visual recordings of persons removed may be made by promoter, government coordinating agency or authorised officer and used/disclosed per the motor race authorisation (s 44).
Immunity and compensation limitations: the Act creates statutory assurances to facilitate authorised activity. Acts done under the Act, under authorisations, works approvals or traffic management plans do not constitute nuisance (s 49). Compensation is not payable by or on behalf of a protected person for acts done in good faith under those instruments (s 50), except in cases of death or personal injury; compensation for economic loss is also generally excluded for promoters and their employees/agents where acts are done in good faith under authorisations or works approvals (s 51). Those definitions and exceptions are precise and limit the State’s liability for authorised activities, while preserving liability for death, personal injury and property damage and liabilities arising under indemnities or contractual arrangements (ss 50-51).
Enforcement architecture: authorised officers are appointed by the Minister (s 57) and have powers of entry and inspection (s 59), can apply for and execute search warrants (s 60), issue written requirements for information (s 61), and rely on penalty notices, summary proceedings in the Local Court, and offences created by regulations (ss 63, 67-69). The Act also enables the Premier to cancel or vary orders or authorisations on emergency advice (s 11).
Commercial exclusivity and advertising controls: promoters are given exclusive commercial rights to use official titles and insignia, with heavy penalties for unauthorised commercial use (s 52), and the government coordinating agency may designate advertising-controlled sites and authorise enforcement officers to remove contravening advertising (ss 53-54). The Act therefore creates statutory exclusivity for promoters’ commercial branding and controls public-facing advertising on prescribed sites.
Airspace control: the Act prohibits operation of aircraft, including drones, in regulated airspace over event areas during a race, subject to enumerated exceptions (s 64). The section prevails over inconsistent air navigation regulations to the extent of any inconsistency (s 64(3)).
Taken together, the Act creates a tightly structured administrative pathway from Ministerial order, to motor race authorisation, to works approvals and traffic management plans, with a single coordinating agency and a suite of delegated enforcement, entry and publicity controls. The statutory vocabulary defines who must be consulted, who may be directed, what works may be permitted, and how public and private rights intersect with authorised activity.