Greyhound racing in NSW took the first step towards a new era of expansion and upgrades to its tracks and facilities, with the announcement today that work will begin on a new racetrack at Lithgow.
The Minister for Gaming and Racing the Hon David Harris attended the Lithgow venue on Friday to officially announce the upgrade and turn the ceremonial first sod on the multi-million dollar project which will be completed next year.
He was joined by local member the Hon Paul Toole, Lithgow Mayor Cassandra Coleman, and chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Greyhounds, the Hon Mark Banasiak. Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) was represented by Chief Executive Officer Steve Griffin, and GRNSW Board members Kevin Gordon and Greg Johnson.
"Today marks an exciting milestone for Lithgow and the greyhound racing industry in NSW," Minister Harris said.
"The commencement of these upgrades reflect our commitment to supporting the industry to deliver high-quality facilities while meeting modern standards and expectations for greyhound welfare and safety.
"The NSW Government is proud to support this redevelopment through the Capital Grants Program, which, in addition to Lithgow is also investing in other tracks like Temora, The Gardens, Gosford and Dubbo.
"This $3.2 million investment for the Lithgow track will boost the local economy, create jobs and attract visitors, ensuring the sport thrives in a safe and sustainable way."
The Lithgow track announcement was also an opportunity for GRNSW to unveil Connex Management & Construction to oversee multiple concurrent track upgrade projects across NSW.
An extensive tender process managed through BDO Australia saw Connex selected as the preferred vendor for GRNSW's construction program.
Connex will oversee Lithgow, and upgrades at Temora, The Gardens, Dubbo and Gosford for which funding from the CGP has already been approved, with further business cases for CGP funding having been submitted for works at Goulburn, Grafton and Richmond.
Mr Griffin also confirmed plans for a 10-dog straight track to be built concurrently with the Goulburn circle track upgrade, and a 10-dog straight track to be built in Tamworth.
"Firstly I must thank the Minister and his Government for their ongoing support of the industry, and for the Minister taking time today to come to Lithgow for this event," Mr Griffin said.
"This is just the latest step in what will be a revitalisation of the NSW greyhound industry. Some within and outside the sport have suggested that greyhound racing is in decline. Well, I'm here to tell you that's the exact opposite. The sport is on an upward trajectory involving innovative changes to its wagering, an uplift to its clubs and a sustainable future.
"I feel for the people of this region and throughout the Central West being without a local track for too long, and from the moment I started in this role in March I have made it a mission to get this project up and running.
"But we needed to go through the correct processes and that meant tendering for the position to oversee our track construction and I'm delighted to announce that Connex are the successful tenderer.
"We did not want to have to wait until one project was completed to move on to the next, and with this new structure we will be able to facilitate multiple projects around NSW.
"We will not only upgrade our racetracks, we will also upgrade patron facilities to ensure that those attending our race meetings have the optimum spectator experience.
The Lithgow club has a long history in the sport, dating back to the turn of the 20th century when the Lithgow Coursing Club was formed in 1901, before the "tin hare" was introduced to Lithgow in 1928.
The racetrack has always attached participants from the Central West, but also those from Sydney and its outer suburbs who would regularly trek across the mountains each week to race.
The closure due to flooding of the Bathurst track at Kennerson Park in November 2022 has left participants in the Central West without a racetrack between Richmond and Dubbo, and the upgrade of the Lithgow racetrack will fill that void.
Nick Price, Managing Director of Connex Management & Construction said his organisation was "proud" to have been selected as the successful tenderer for the Statewide Track Upgrade Program.
"We look forward to working collaboratively with GRNSW to deliver a coordinated program of upgrade works across multiple racing venues," Mr Price said. "Our team is dedicated to ensuring each facility meets the highest standards of track performance, safety and operational reliability.
"This appointment reflects our proven capability in delivering complex civil, infrastructure and sporting facility projects across NSW, along with our strong commitment to safety, quality and animal welfare outcomes.
"Connex values the trust GRNSW has placed in us and welcomes the opportunity to build a long-term partnership focused on delivering modern, safe and future-ready greyhound racing infrastructure for communities across NSW."
