December 16, 2015
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has joined the Queensland racing industry in urging the State Government to halt plans to slash almost $19 million of prize money until a new Racing Queensland board is elected.
More than 200 trainers, jockeys and owners rallied at Doomben Racecourse in Brisbane on Wednesday, angry over Racing Queensland’s decision to slash prize money and scrap up to 60 country race meetings.
A Racing Queensland sustainability report released earlier this month found the organisation was facing projected losses of more than $28 million this financial year.
At the rally, industry officials disputed the projected losses and argued the severe cuts were unnecessary.
The rally passed a no-confidence motion against Racing Queensland acting chief executive Ian Hall.
The meeting also called for a new Racing Queensland board to be elected with more industry members, and for no changes to proceed until the new board can reassess the industry’s financial state.
All boards associated with the Queensland racing industry were abolished in June after a Commission of Inquiry into the racing industry following the greyhound live-baiting scandal.
Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said the Palaszczuk Government had used the live-baiting scandal as an excuse for the sackings.
“That was wrong then, this is wrong now and what we see now is situation where they have not been able to justify any of the financial figures that they’ve used,” Mr Springborg said.
“Those greyhound issues could have been dealt with without sacking the entire governance bodies around all the racing codes in Queensland.
“If you have a problem in a particular area you address it in that area you don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
“This has left Queensland Racing a long way behind the rest of Australia.”
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said if the State Government’s proposed changes went ahead, South Burnett race clubs would be seriously impacted.
“In our area, the cuts will directly affect two race clubs in the South Burnett, the Nanango Race Club and Kumbia Race Club, who will both potentially lose race days and prize money,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The Nanango Race Club, which holds six major meetings each year, could lose three of their race meetings.
“And at Kumbia, it appears they may go back to just a single race day per year, as they will lose their Sustain Race Day.”
Mrs Frecklington said she wanted to assure local Race Clubs and everyone involved in racing that the LNP would stand side by side with Queensland’s racing industry.
Poor consultation, low confidence and funding cuts were among the major concerns raised today at the LNP Opposition’s roundtable meeting attended by more than 15 racing industry representatives.
The rally followed a roundtable meeting hosted by the LNP on Tuesday with jockeys and owners from the harness, greyhound and thoroughbred sectors.
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