Gary's Speeches

Racing Victoria - Regional and Rural Support

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The way the Brumby government and in particular the Minister for Racing are treating Victorian country racing clubs at the moment is an absolute disgrace. We are seeing the viability of many country race clubs being undermined by decisions that are designed deliberately to benefit metropolitan race clubs at the expense of those in the country. An example of this in my electorate has been the decision taken by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) to strip two race meetings from the Warragul Harness Racing Club in 2009-10.


The Warragul Harness Racing Club is a very successful and extremely well managed entity. It is located at Logan Park in Warragul, just a minute's drive off the Princes Freeway, a little over an hour from Melbourne and easily accessible to East Gippsland harness racing enthusiasts.

The Warragul Harness Racing Club is in the process of finalising a new three-year deal with a major sponsor. The loss of two race meetings for the 2009-10 year will seriously compromise this new financial support arrangement.

Harness racing is very popular across Gippsland. This decision by HRV sends a clear message to Gippsland racegoers that it does not care about maintaining a viable harness racing industry in Gippsland. The economy of Gippsland is suffering enough from the recent bushfires. The harness racing industry is a major contributor to the economy of the area, particularly in Warragul.

I call on the Minister for Racing to show some courage, take control of his area of responsibility and restore the two race meetings in question. If he does not he will be responsible for delivering another kick in the guts to struggling fire-affected Gippsland communities.