MOVING ALONG – RACING MINISTER NEEDS TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON QUEENSLAND STAKEHOLDERS

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Graham Potter is the managing editor and founder of horseracingonly.com.au. Calling on thirty-one years of international experience as a racing journalist and racing photographer, Graham’s personal blog, ‘Moving Along’ will appear every Wednesday on HRO.

The resilience of Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys and the Racing NSW board, who stood alone in their fight against corporate bookmakers over a fees issue, has led to an outcome which has turned racing in Australia on its head.

When the high court finally unanimously upheld the validity of the Race Fields Legislation and the fee charged by Racing NSW on March 30, the celebration in that state was matched by a keen sense of belief that racing’s financial woes had received not only a temporary lifeline but a whole fleet of lifeboats which Racing NSW could deploy to all sectors of the industry so that a whole range of participants could, for the moment at least, sail away from a potential wreck and on towards a brighter future.

Then, when the call was finally in their hands, V’Landys and co did not waste the moment. Their prompt action in announcing the details of just how their financial windfall would be used (a press release which came within days of their high court victory) again buoyed motivation and took enthusiasm to new levels … at least it did in NSW!

For those states that had opted not to side with NSW the high court verdict translated into a bitter-sweet result.

Clearly the outcome with its future income earning potential was a huge plus for racing but, as the ruling currently only applies to racing in NSW, it means, for the next couple of months at least, the gap between the viability of being a racing participant or stakeholder in NSW and Queensland has widened to alarming proportions.

It is fair to say that, while the mood is buoyant down south, it is depressed in Queensland … and therein lies an immediate problem for authorities in the Sunshine State.

While Racing NSW is now under full sail, racing in Queensland is still firmly stranded and participants are quickly running out of rations. No wonder morale is low.

The change of state government promised much and it might very well might deliver. The onus however is on the new racing minister to affect meaningful change in time for it to make a difference and the silence out of the minister’s office to date is not reassuring.

Steven Dickson is the Racing Minister. Largely unknown in racing circles until his appointment, Dickson has been called a ‘hard hitter … someone who can get things done,’ and race-goers have no problem with that persona. They do however no longer set any store by reputations or promises … it is only action that counts!

Two immediate challenges face Dickson and arguably his relationship with racing’s stakeholders will be shaped by his reaction to them.

The change of personnel, structure and restrained level of power given to the ruling body needs to be fast-tracked.

The infrastructure plan and its allocation of funds needs revision, decision and action.

Both of these points would have covered in some detail when the LNP was formulating its racing policy prior to the election. They are vital points and cannot be rushed but, by the same token, racegoers would be entitled to believe that plans should have moved far enough forward for it not to take long to implement.

Just as V’landys was ready to go when the verdict came down in his favour, so should the ‘new era’ in Queensland begin with a bang and not a splutter!

There are of course a host of other tasks for the minister to tackle, but these two required resolutions mentioned above are by far the most important and need to be completed before racing in Queensland can turn the corner.

As is so often stated, the importance of the horse racing industry both in terms of the employment opportunities it gives to tens of thousands of people as well as its role in funding a host of government and community projects via its taxation bill is something of real substance.

We need somebody who doesn’t merely pay lip service to that importance and then make decisions to that are counter-productive to its very existence, as so many ignorant government officials have done in the past. We need somebody who is savvy, forthright and capable of running the show effectively.

That responsibility ultimately will be in the hands of the new Queensland Racing Board.

For now though the focus is on the new racing minister and the pledges that his party has made to racing.

The mass message from people involved in racing in Queensland is that they need to find out soon whether the lifeboats have been deployed for them this time, or whether they have to try and swim for it and take a chance that there is another safe haven for them out there somewhere!

I hope someone is listening!

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