CLUB PLIGHT A DISGRACE

GOLD Coast Harness Racing Club president Barry Grimsey is well within his rights to sound off about the farce that has gone on since his organisation was booted from its Parklands home six years ago.

The club is in limbo. Promises to build a new complex have come to nothing.

On the one hand, it is fair enough that the state saw an opportunity to redevelop the harness and greyhound racing complex and showgrounds into the health and knowledge precinct the city now has. A state-of-the-art university hospital was badly needed, as was an athletes’ village for the hugely successful Commonwealth Games last year.

But the club and the greyhound fraternity have been treated shabbily, despite assurances they would be looked after. Mr Grimsey says a meeting with the Racing Minister was cancelled from the Government’s end, and a commitment by Racing Queensland back in 2013 to sink $10 million into a new venue has led nowhere.

Last time the Bulletin went to Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe about problems within the industry here – that is, lack of action on night racing at the turf club that is supposed to happen by 2020 – his office said he was on leave and would not be commenting. On this latest ruction within racing on the Gold Coast, RQ CEO Brendan Parnell has not returned our calls about the harness racing club.

Last Saturday the Bulletin listed the infrastructure failings that demonstrated how the Government was dudding our city while pouring billions into Brisbane.

The funding is there for Brisbane’s $5.4 billion Cross River Rail but the Gold Coast is expected to wait while the state plays stalling games on the next stage of our light rail, and ignores its responsibility to replace the harness racing venue. Shameful!