Queanbeyan greyhound track could be built next year

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This was published 6 years ago

Queanbeyan greyhound track could be built next year

By David Polkinghorne
Updated

Queanbeyan is firming as the new home for the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club and it could be built as early as next year.

NSW deputy premier John Barilaro, who is also the member for Monaro, said discussions had begun with the Queanbeyan Race Club and the Canberra Greyhounds with the view to potentially relocating the greyhound track across the ACT border.

NSW deputy premier John Barilaro wants Australia's first straight greyhound track to be built at Queanbeyan.

NSW deputy premier John Barilaro wants Australia's first straight greyhound track to be built at Queanbeyan.Credit: Kate Geraghty

The greyhound club is living on borrowed time in the capital, after the ACT government officially banned the sport this year.

Pending any appeals, it's set to come into effect in April 2018.

But Barilaro wants to move the club across the border to his home town and the Queanbeyan race track is shaping as a possible location.

The April deadline will be too tight to have a track built, but Barilaro was hopeful next year was still a possibility to have greyhound racing in Queanbeyan.

Greyhound racing has been banned in Canberra due to animal welfare concerns, despite the Canberra club having a clean record.

It's believed straight-track racing could help alleviate injuries to dogs because they don't have to race around corners.

​"We want to see something completed next year for sure, no question," Barilaro said.

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"We've got the opportunity with a green-field site to look at the new studies, the new designs for tracks.

"I know across the country they're talking about straight race tracks rather than the round ones in relation to animal welfare.

"If that is the model we want to go with this is going to be the first and why not make it Queanbeyan. 2018 we want this resolved.

"The April deadline is very tight to even put a training track in place, but that doesn't mean we're not trying.

"We'll get through this initial stage and then we'll be able to firm up some more dates as we know exactly where we're at."

Because of the tight time frame, Barilaro said in the interim they might have to move the Canberra races to a nearby track.

Goulburn was one option while a new track was being built.

"We were waiting for the final decision from the ACT government, they've made that decision, they've now put April as an end date," Barilaro said.

"We're going to have to put some transition in place if it is as is and no court challenges change that.

"We're talking about some transition where we'll be picking up those races at somewhere like Goulburn.

"Why? Because that's ready to go and we need to protect the TAB meets and the races themselves.

"In the meantime we've already begun the discussions with the Queanbeyan Race Club, with the Canberra Greyhound Club as well about how to co-locate.

"It looks like it can happen at Queanbeyan Race Club so we're now in the middle of that.

"I've asked those charged with greyhound racing in NSW, along with the ministers office to progress with that. There's been a site visit and more to be said about that shortly."

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