A Dean Winter Labor Government supports Tasmania’s racing industry and will work with participants across all three codes to ensure a strong and sustainable future.
Labor will make it a priority to deliver a new, long-term funding deed before Christmas.
Labor’s Fresh Start for Racing will:
- Secure a new, long-term funding deed
- Continue to support the Racing Integrity Commissioner’s important work
- Audit the North-West Track project
- Ensure a solution is found to the owner access issues at Elwick
Why we need it
After 11 years of the Liberals, racing has been on the front pages of Tasmanian newspapers for all the wrong reasons.
The Liberals' inaction and delay in finalising a new funding deed to support TasRacing is impacting business confidence, undermining investment and creating uncertainty for industry participants.
The Liberals' Plan saw the funding deed set to expire in 2029, with no commitment to extend it.
The Liberal Government lied to North-West harness and greyhound participants when it moved racing out of the Devonport Showgrounds in 2022.
The promised new North-West track has not been delivered, and the Liberals' shocking budget mismanagement has meant that promised funding is evaporating.
The details
A Dean Winter Labor Government supports racing and will work with participants to ensure all three codes - thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing - have a future in Tasmania.
Labor will continue to support the Racing Integrity Commissioner to clean up racing in Tasmania so it can continue to enjoy the support of Tasmanians. The Racing Integrity Commissioner has undertaken significant work since legislation supported and strengthened by Labor came into place.
A Dean Winter Labor Government will make it a priority to ensure that participants have certainty by securing a new, long-term funding deed before Christmas. Labor will also maintain funding for breeding incentives in both equine codes and for the Greyhound Adoption Program.
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“Tasmanian Labor will always stand up for racing in Tasmania and give confidence and surety to industry participants.” |
Labor will instruct TasRacing to ensure that a solution is found to the owner access issues at Elwick within six months of taking office. The feedback from participants is overwhelming and Tasmanian Labor will ensure that participants can safely have the full on-track experience that they enjoyed until the Liberals removed it.
Labor will audit the North-West track project, including identifying how much money is left from the exit from the Showgrounds lease and how much was wasted on three failed bids to build a new track.
Labor will also release all documents related to the Spreyton greyhound track and convene a meeting of all North-West racing participants to try find a way to save racing in the North-West.
