TAMWORTH MP Kevin Anderson cracked the whip at the NSW harness racing governing body yesterday for disregarding the immediate need for a new race track in Tamworth.
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A new track for Tamworth Harness Racing Club has been promised for nearly a decade; however, the project keeps getting pushed back in favour of other regional tracks such as Bathurst and Wagga Wagga.
“Ten years ago this facility was slated to be moved and upgraded – a few years ago a brand new block of dirt was bought out at Goonoo Goonoo Rd for the new harness racing track,” Mr Anderson said.
“It was the number one project to be built and it just keeps getting pushed back. We’ve seen other centres around NSW be upgraded ahead of Tamworth – and Tamworth keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the pile.”
“Harness Racing NSW don’t seem to be able to give us a timeline, which I think is totally unacceptable.”
- Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson
Mr Anderson said he was throwing his support behind the local racing community members, who were frustrated and wanted to know why nothing was happening.
“It’s damaging the industry – I’m not happy about it and I want answers from Harness Racing NSW as to why they haven’t acted,” he said.
It was just announced Wagga’s new trotting tack could be up and running in just over a year, which could speed things up for Tamworth, but Mr Anderson said Tamworth deserved answers now.
“Wagga was put on hold for 12 months, which pushed Tamworth back – why are we being held to ransom for the mistakes at other tracks?” he said.
“Harness Racing NSW don’t seem to be able to give us a timeline, which I think is totally unacceptable.”
Mr Anderson said every time the club had asked questions about the project’s funding, timeline and the racing calendar, it had been “fobbed off”.
He said he was taking the issue directly to Deputy Premier and Racing Minister Troy Grant when parliament resumed next week.
“We’ve tried going through the right channels to get the project back on track – we’ve tried to do the right thing behind the scenes, but we keep getting fobbed off,” he said.
“I’ll be taking this directly to the racing minister. I’m not sure that’s what Harness Racing NSW wants – well, that’s where we are at. We are up for the fight, because I want this project back on the table.”
Tamworth Harness Racing Club chairman Terry Browne said the local harness racing industry was “very resilient” but hoarse from asking when work would start on the new facilities.
“We feel there is a need for things to be expedited, and progress needs to be made because we are not progressing at the moment,” Mr Browne said.
“We are treading water – and you get tired treating water and not getting to the edge eventually.
"Next year will be the 50th year of racing at the Tamworth Showground and we’re still one of the areas that doesn’t race full-time in the state – we think after 50 years we’ve done our apprenticeship and we are ready to go to the next stage.”