A petition released last week by Liberal MP Donna Petrovich, right, aims to harness community support for the threatened local racing industry. Yarra Valley Racing CEO Brett Shambrook put his name to the petition after meeting with Ms Petrovich and Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe in January.By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE Amateur Racing Club (HARC) president John O’Neill says he is hopeful of retaining the club’s seven race meetings.
Under the draft Victorian Racecourse and Training Facilities Directions Paper released before Christmas by Racing Victoria Limited (RVLP), in conjunction with Country Racing Victoria (CRV), the club would lose three of its standard seven meetings each season.
Yarra Valley Racing at Yarra Glen would have its funding cut for training facilities under the proposal.
Mr O’Neill and vice-president Anthony Schack met last week with RVL’s CEO Rob Hines and Chief Operating Officer Bernard Saundry, and with CRV CEO Scott Whiteman to put the club’s case.
“We came out of that meeting feeling very positive that what they put in their blueprint is not what is going to happen, to Healesville in particular, but also to other picnics,” Mr O’Neill told the Mail.
He said they had made a case for Healesville and for other smaller clubs.
“You need the picnic circuit to continue, and you need all the clubs to continue,” he said.
“We saw it as equally important that we fight for the picnic circuit as a whole.”
He said an economic impact statement prepared for the club by the Shire of Yarra Ranges had calculated that the loss of four races would strip $1.78 million from the local economy.
“They calculate the club contributed $4 million towards the local economy through money spent at the racecourse but also on things such as petrol, accommodation, and other recreational spending after the races,” Mr O’Neill said.
Meanwhile, Liberal MPs have gone into bat for the Yarra Valley racing clubs they say will be severely disadvantaged by the proposed overhaul of the thoroughbred racing industry.
Shadow Minister for Racing Denis Napthine, Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe and Donna Petrovich MLC, Northern Victoria Region, have had meetings with club officials in recent weeks.
Mr Napthine said the clubs were devastated by the announcement contained in the Victorian Racecourse and Training Facilities Directions Paper released before Christmas. “It’s an absolute disgrace,” he said.
“Yarra Valley Racing has been the Victorian Thoroughbred Country Racing Club of the year for the past two years and now to be treated like this is absolutely despicable,” he said.
Ms Petrovich and Ms Fyffe met recently with Yarra Valley Racing CEO Brett Shambrook who told the MPs the proposed move to cut funding for the training facility at Yarra Glen would have a devastating affect on the Yarra Valley racing industry and a widespread impact on the local economy.
Ms Petrovich raised the matter in State Parliament last week saying the government had totally misread the mood of people in country towns with the release of the directions paper. “The paper’s claim that the plans will make racing clubs and venues more sustainable just does not stack up,” she said.
“The loss of the Healesville picnic race meetings will mean a major loss of funds flowing through to local charities at a time when country Victoria needs as much as it can get.”
She said the decision to no longer fund the training facilities at Yarra Valley Racing made no sense, particularly in view of the fact it had been named Country Racing Club of the Year last year.
Ms Petrovich distributed petitions in Healesville and Yarra Glen, providing an opportunity for local community members to voice their support for both race clubs.
