To our dedicated motorsport community,

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to share some initial plans intended to streamline Motorsport Australia’s operations. This includes the acceleration of our planned IT improvements, as well as simplifying our licence and permit structures for officials, competitors and event organisers.

In early March we set up a dedicated Motorsport Australia Recovery Taskforce which included key external members and partners from all levels of the sport, from grassroots to Supercars. Together with Motorsport Australia staff, this Taskforce made a number of recommendations aimed at reducing the barriers to participation and making things easier for everyone to be involved in the sport, especially those looking to get their start in motorsport, which is crucial to the sport’s growth and sustainability.

These recommendations, aimed at simplifying our processes for members and growing our sport, were recently endorsed by the Motorsport Australia Board. In the wake of COVID-19, Motorsport Australia, like many sporting organisations, is now operating in what is the ‘new normal’. In the coming weeks and months, we will be in close contact to explain how these changes will benefit you, your club and everyone involved in the sport. Put simply, these changes will allow the sport to be easier to administer, utilising the latest technology as we continue to Return To Race. This technology will also allow us to meet ongoing COVID-19 restrictions as we make the most of contactless technology, including a new membership app.

I can also advise you that Motorsport Australia is moving to centralise its administration operations at its Melbourne head office to reduce unnecessary costs and further improve our services to members. As such, our non-Victorian offices will now be permanently closed to the public. However, I can assure you that Motorsport Australia will continue to have a presence in each state and territory, with highly skilled staff dedicated to growing the sport and working with government and our affiliated clubs to increase participation at all levels.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit many sporting bodies hard and motorsport is not immune. Unfortunately, as a result of these necessary changes, a small number of positions will be made redundant. These decisions have been extremely difficult, however those individuals, whose roles are unfortunately redundant, will be well supported and also provided with professional assistance as they transition to new employment. 

Another Taskforce recommendation being adopted and implemented is a restructure and streamlining of our Commissions from 2021. These changes are aimed at reducing the administrative requirements of the Commissions whilst continuing to represent all disciplines of our sport in a more efficient manner. This streamlined, more effective structure will reduce the number of Commissions but will continue to promote ongoing consultation with the experts in their respective fields. More details about this new structure will be shared with you shortly.

Motorsport Australia continues to work hard behind the scenes to do everything possible to allow racing to resume. Where restrictions do not allow this, we are working closely with our members and clubs to ensure that when the time comes, they can return to action without delay. The highly publicised and successful Return To Race strategy will continue to be utilised and remain in place to allow the sport every chance to run safely and efficiently during this ongoing pandemic.

Please keep an eye on our website and look out for further email communications from us in the coming weeks and months. We will keep you regularly updated to ensure you receive any information about these planned changes and their impact on you.

On behalf of everyone at Motorsport Australia, thank you for your ongoing and loyal support. We look forward to sharing our next chapter with you, as we transition to more streamlined administration processes that will benefit everyone in our sport.

Regards,
Eugene Arocca
Motorsport Australia CEO