Racing is important to Queensland and to our economy, but it’s no secret that racing hasn’t been at its best for a long time and continues to face challenges.
The issues the industry faces haven’t arisen overnight, nor can they be fixed overnight.
We’ve always said we’re committed to creating a sustainable racing industry. Since coming to office, we’ve invested almost $190m in racing.
Our door has always been open. We need to work together to look at how we can ensure Queensland racing is sustainable into the future.
That’s why we’ve asked jockey, trainer, owners and breeder representatives of the Thoroughbred Alliance to meet with us tomorrow. The meeting will be chaired by independent racing identity, Gary Pemberton.
As a former Chairman of Qantas Airways, a former chair of NSW Racing and NSW TAB, and a former Australian Rugby League Commissioner, Mr Pemberton has significant commercial acumen and racing industry experience. He is also a Queensland based thoroughbred breeder.
As part of that roundtable discussion, we will explore the challenges the industry faces and look at the steps we might need to take to build a strong and prosperous racing industry. We also want to explore further options for racing industry reform.
We know the industry is seeking further increases in prizemoney and we will continue to talk to representatives from all codes, including harness and greyhound racing, in the coming days and weeks.
