GREYHOUND trainers have labelled the New England North West the forgotten region of racing and believe Tamworth could benefit from a brand new, state-of-the-art facility.
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Tamworth trainer Tony Atkins will only take his dogs to compete in other regions such as Maitland because he holds concerns about the state of tracks in the local area.
He said there were other trainers who would rack-up many hours on the road travelling for meets which Mr Atkins said was a welfare issue for the humans and the dogs.
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“All the local people, who are older are forced to travel,” he said.
“A lot of trainers won’t go there because of the shape of the track and the problems with the track, it was probably built in 1940s or 1950s.
“It’s giving our dogs a disadvantage because we have to travel so far before we get there and meet other dogs on their home turf.”
Mr Atkins said Tamworth needed a “brand new, state-of-the-art” facility for dog racing.
He conceded it would “cost million of dollars”, but he thought there would much for the city to gain from it.
A lot of trainers won’t go there because of the shape of the track.
- Tamworth trainer Tony Atkins
“Everyone would have a stake in it,” he said
“I’ve talked to plenty of people in Sydney who would be ready to sell-up and come up and have their dogs here.”
Moonbi trainer Roz Evans agreed that a new track should be built in Tamworth, but she believed New England had become “the forgotten zone” in NSW.
“Apparently they've announced over at Grafton thousands of dollars to redo their facilities and they’re already miles better than what we've got here,” she said.
Mrs Evans said the future of the industry in the region depended on getting an upgraded facility in Tamworth.
“It won't survive unless it’s here, that’s not to say anything about the other towns, I love them, but it won’t survive, Tamworth has the people and the population,” she said.
Mrs Evans said a complete redevelopment could an enormous benefit for the city.
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidates for the region also jumped on the temporary closure of the region’s tracks.
“The Liberals and Nationals are too scared to impose an outright ban on Greyhound racing again,” Tamworth candidate Jeff Bacon said.
“So they’re going to just kill the industry in another way.”
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
