Black Rock Motor Resort: First stage sold out

The first 16 of 64 luxury freehold villas at Black Rock Motor Resort, a new 255-hectare gated community for cashed-up motoring enthusiasts in Lake Macquarie (NSW), have been snapped up despite costing at least $3.5 million apiece.

And while the centrepiece of the $95 million development will be a 5.25km racetrack designed by Formula 1 circuit architect Hermann Tilke of the Tilke Group, there will be no motorsport at the sprawling former coal mine site in Teralba, just 25km west of Newcastle.

“The first stage is all sold and no more [villas] will be sold until they are built,” the project’s founder and CEO, Tony Palmer, told carsales.

Black Rock will be the first motor resort of its type in Australia, providing villa owners with direct access to pit lane and state-of-the-art mechanical facilities, plus a 100sqm lock-up garage to house four cars underneath their two-bedroom luxury abodes.

Inspired by similar properties in Europe – such as the Ascari resort in Spain, which opened in 2003 – it will feature double-brick construction and double-glazed windows for each villa and the neighbouring hotel.

As well as the private villas, Black Rock will feature luxury holiday accommodation including 30 rooms and 24 individual cabins, a members-only lodge comprising 20 luxury rooms, a swimming pool, spa, sauna and fitness amenities, plus an exclusive dining room overlooking the circuit’s final turn.

“Think of it like a ski resort or a golf club. But rather than a ski run or an 18-hole course you’ve got a 5.25km racetrack as the centrepiece of the resort,” Palmer told realestate.com.au.

“We’re creating a community of car nuts and solving a significant problem for them. If you own an unregistered track car you’ve got to get them to and from the track, or the mechanic, which is a bit of a pain. This will be like a weekender, but instead of boats at the beach house, you keep your cars at the track.

“[Villa buyers] range from people who are in the motoring industry, or those doing it as a retirement plan. Maybe they don’t like golf or boats, but they do like cars. This will offer them resort style facilities where they can hang out with like-minded individuals.”

Construction at the former site of the Rhondda Colliery, which closed in 1971, commenced in March following its approval by the NSW government in 2019. The project is expected to generate around 450 new jobs and ongoing employment for over 200 staff.

According to realestate.com.au, it’s the first time in 70 years that a mining licence has been relinquished in NSW and Black Rock will serve as a blueprint for the future use of former mining land.

The world-class circuit designed by Tilke – a former racer who designed or upgraded several international racetracks including Silverstone, Hockenheimring, Bahrain, Shanghai, Istanbul, Valencia, Fuji Speedway and the Nurburgring – will include 23 turns, an 800m straight and an elevation change of 125m.

It will be the second new track in the region following the privately-funded 3.1km Circuit Italia near Port Stephens just north of Newcastle, which has lost its annual Supercars endurance race.

Circuit Italia – the first new circuit in NSW since Sydney Motorsport Park opened as Eastern Creek raceway in 1990 – is expected to open this year and eventually host a Supercars round.

However, Palmer confirmed to carsales there will be no racing – or motorcycles – at Black Rock, which lacks development application approval for motorsport.

Instead, Black Rock will host private functions catering for up to 500 people, corporate driving events, performance car driving experiences, public track days and driver training.

Black Rock is due to be completed by 2026, before becoming fully operational the following year.

Related: Sydney Motorsport Park to become Australia’s own ‘Silverstone’

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