Future vision for Geelong Racecourse funded

Friday, 03 June 2011

The Geelong Racing Club will receive $31,000 from the Victorian Government to develop a masterplan and create a vision for the future of the Geelong racecourse.

With this funding, Racing Victoria and the Geelong Racing Club will be able to develop a plan to meet the requirements of the Geelong racing community now and well into the future. The Geelong Racecourse Masterplan will ultimately lead to better facilities and infrastructure for the racecourse precinct.

This is a step forward in the Victorian Government's efforts to improve conditions of racing clubs across the state and revitalise thoroughbred racing in country Victoria. The masterplan will set out a vision for the future and take into consideration the needs of the club, horse trainers, jockeys and horses. Importantly, the plan will also ensure that patrons attending the races will be well catered for

In developing the plan, Racing Victoria and Geelong Racing Club will give consideration to:

• the training needs at Geelong, including the possible relocation of trainers from the Haworth Court Training Complex to the main precinct
• construction of new race day horse stalls
• grandstand and marquee requirements
• car parking needs and access alternatives, its co-sharing arrangements with the Geelong Showgrounds, and possible access from the Showgrounds via a tunnel.

Racing Victoria and Country Racing Victoria will match the Government's $31,000 contribution to round out the $62,000 project.

Geelong Racing Club Chief Executive Paul Carroll welcomed the announcement. The Geelong Racing Club is extremely grateful for the support shown by the the Government and Racing Victoria. Mr Carroll said "this masterplan will allow the club the opportunity to achieve an optimal and co-ordinated outcome to a number of significant projects including the relocation of the Haworth Court Training Complex."

Racing Victoria Chief Operating Officer Bernard Saundry said he was looking forward to continuing to work with Country Racing Victoria and the Government on this project. "Geelong is a major racing centre hosting 46 meetings annually, including 32 on the state's only synthetic racetrack. It is also an important training centre with over 100 horses working daily," Mr Saundry said. "We are keen to explore the viability of relocating the Haworth Court trainers to on-course stables and in doing so we need to consider what other development opportunities are feasible to further enhance the racecourse for the industry and local community."