Canberra greyhound trainer John Diehm farewells the track he saw built

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This was published 5 years ago

Canberra greyhound trainer John Diehm farewells the track he saw built

By Eamonn Tiernan

Veteran greyhound trainer John Diehm sold raffle tickets four decades ago to raise funds for an ACT track and hasn't missed a Canberra Cup since the inaugural race in 1979.

Mr Diehm has been training greyhound for 45 years and helped secure the land at Symonston from the government to build Canberra's track in 1978.

John Diehm has been racing greyhounds for almost 50 years.

John Diehm has been racing greyhounds for almost 50 years.

The Canberran has trained "hundreds of dogs" over the decades but will race in the capital for the final time on Sunday.

The ACT government will implement its controversial greyhound racing ban from April 30 as the tight-knit community prepare for an emotional farewell.

From Monday, people who are caught illegally racing greyhounds could be fined up to $15,000 or face a year behind bars.

Greyhound owners who want to continue racing over the border in NSW can continue to do so, but will need to apply for an annual greyhound racing controller licence.

Mr Diehm is retired and worried he'll be priced out of the racing market, with rumours the government could charge annual fees of $750 to train and $600 per dog registration.

ACT trainers currently pay a $19.50 lifetime registration fee and a $100 annual racing fee to Greyhound Racing New South Wales.

Mr Diehm was a public servant for more than 40 years and said he feels let down by the government he dedicated his working life to.

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"I’ve had greyhounds before we had the track here 40-odd years ago. I was selling raffle tickets to raise money for the $500 site inspection fee in 1978," Diehm said.

"I'm a self-funded retiree and live on a budget, I've never had an issue or been banned from greyhound racing, but if they put ridiculous fees on training they’ll price me out.

"It's already going to cost extra money having to travel to Goulburn and Sydney. I've just lost all faith in all politics and politicians.

"I worked my whole life for the ACT and Commonwealth governments and was good to them, I won a few service awards, so to be treated like this I think is disgraceful.

"There have been no issues in the ACT, all the issues were in NSW and Victoria and they were on private trial tracks and there are none of those in the ACT, I'm disgusted with the decision."

The Canberra Greyhound Racing Club has a temporary licence to operate at the Goulburn track from May 6.

But Mr Diehm, who spent more than 15 years on club's board, said the government was breaking up a tight-knit community for no good reason.

"Most of us greyhound people in the ACT are hobby trainers, not crooks, our record speaks for itself," Diehm said.

"Most of us aren't running big kennels, we just enjoy racing and car pooling to meets and socialising, but they want to condemn us and I think that's shocking.

"To be victimised the way we are, even after the NSW government came out and said they got it wrong, to cop what we’ve copped, it makes me crook in the guts."

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