Call for fewer, better racetracks

A NATIONAL survey has revealed racing industry participants want fewer race tracks and more training facilities in the South Island.

That was the message that came from 88 submissions received through the industry’s collaborative initiative, the Future Venue Plan.

The joint working group made up of the three racing codes, the New Zealand Racing Board and the racing dates committee released a letter recently addressing the survey it conducted at the start of its project earlier this year.

The survey revealed the South Island was in need of more facilities for training horses.

The letter said there was a ‘‘demand for improved tracks and, especially, training facilities’’ in the Southern region.

The survey showed participants thought there were too many tracks in the South Island.

But the responses did not offer an ideal number of venues there should be in the region.

There was a range of answers from one to eight racetracks, and some only responded with suggestions for one code.

The call for a reduction in the number of racetracks was consistant with the national response to the survey.

‘‘The majority of respondents say that there needs to be a reduction in venues, better venues and facilities, but noting the important role of communities,’’ the letter said.

Respondents said they wanted a better standard of racetracks, with better hospitality and entertainment facilities for owners.

The survey revealed mixed feedback on the need for synthetic tracks to be established in New Zealand.

The survey results show goverment assistance would be required to fix some of the industry’s venue problems.

Some suggested that lowering betting taxes could help to fund the improvement of racing venues.

The sale of surplus venues was another way, but there was reticence about selling off venues or land from some submitters.

The respondents could not agree on whether future venues should be shared between codes.

When the Future Venue Plan initiative was announced it was hoped a draft venue plan would be sent out for consultation in mid2018.

The letter accompanying the survey findings said that would now be done by the end of this year.

The change of date looks to have been put back because of John Messara’s review of the racing industry.

Messara’s review could possibly recommend changes to the country’s venues to the government that would impact on the Future Venue Plan.