News

Anger Grows Over Canberra Funding Crisis

9th Feb 2010

Racing And Sports - Chris Scholtz - Tuesday, 9 February 2010

The ACT racing industry is mounting a public campaign in a bid to overturn the ACT Government's intention to deny local thoroughbred, harness and greyhound clubs a share of revenue raised from race fields fees paid by wagering operators.

Canberra race clubs and racing participants have been stunned by the ACT Government decision to retain all the fees raised under its new race fields legislation and direct the funds to other sectors.

The ACT Government passed the 'Racing Amendment BILL 2009' in December which provides for race fields legislation to be introduced in the ACT from March 1 when all wagering operators will be required to pay a fee to wager on ACT racing events.

However in a bureaucratic decision that has shocked the clubs and stakeholders, the ACT Government funding model for racing from 2010/2011 denies the industry revenue raised from the new legislation.

This is in direct contrast to the policies adopted by every other state where the fees raised from race fields legislation has been passed on as additional revenue to their racing industries.

By any measure, no other major industry in Australia would accept or tolerate the denial of a share of revenue raised by Governments from its products.

Leading Canberra owners and trainers have labelled the ACT Government plan as ill conceived and a blatant money grab at the expense of local racing.

ACT Racing Club chairman Geoff Bloom said discussions with the ACT Government over the state of funding of the local racing industry had been on-going for nearly two years but had failed to secure a positive outcome.

“The net result is that the ACT racing industry will continue to receive the lowest revenue by comparison to other States based on percentages of the home state TAB turnover,” Bloom said.

“The level of prize money and the number of race meetings that the clubs can fund and conduct is under threat because of the ACT Government's failure to recognise the racing industry's rightful entitlement to this new revenue stream.”

The three racing codes will hold a public forum in Canberra on February 17 to highlight the funding crisis confronting the local industry.

“The forum is primarily to inform stakeholders and anyone with an interest in racing of the likely outcomes if the funding of the three codes of racing in the ACT is not adequately addressed by the ACT Government,” said ACT Racing Club chief executive Peter Stubbs.

“We urge anybody with the slightest interest or involvement in Canberra racing to attend this forum as participation may assist the future of the ACT racing industry.”

The forum will be held at 6pm in the Black Opal Room at Thoroughbred Park and will be a joint presentation by the ACT Racing Club, Canberra Harness Racing Club and Canberra Greyhound Racing Club.

It will feature a presentation by Stephen Corcoran, a senior consultant with Access Economics. A panel of representatives from the three codes will be available to answer questions.