Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) has announced the formation of the Sydney Metropolitan Racing Precinct (SMRP) working group which will evaluate options and alternatives for the industry once racing ceases at Wentworth Park.
Late last year the NSW Government announced they would not be renewing the lease at Wentworth Park when it expires in September 2027, a decision leaving greyhound racing in NSW in the unenviable position of being without a Metropolitan venue.
"As an industry we need a premier Metropolitan venue," GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Steve Griffin said. "There are a number of options that need to be closely scrutinised, and like all of our recent decisions on the future of the industry, we want to have input from stakeholders and participants.
"The working group will provide GRNSW with advice on what we should build to replace Wentworth Park which will assist in determining the likely cost of the new precinct and the size of the land that will be required.
"We want the SMRP to be the premier racing venue in the country and something which all participants in NSW can be proud of.
"The first thing we need to know is exactly what we want as an industry. We will need to factor in costs and look at the amount of compensation we receive from the Government for vacating Wentworth Park, the location, and type of facility and track and then look at whether to include additional services such as vet practice, boarding kennels, education and training facilities.
"Naturally this is not a decision to be made hastily, however, due to the circumstances we are in, it is a decision we must move swiftly on in the short time frame we have been handed.
"The intent is to have plans developed for the new SMRP by the middle of this year and a location finalised so that, before the end of this year the industry will know what we are going to build, where we are going to build it, and when it is likely to be ready for the industry to use."
The Sydney Metropolitan Racing Precinct working group consists of a variety of NSW industry participants: trainers Ken Burnett, Kristy Sultana, and Greg Hore, leading owner and Greyhound Breeders, Owners & Trainers Association (GBOTA) Director Brian Barton, and the Goulburn Club's Secretary-Manager, Patrick Day.
