The Mid North Coast of NSW will have a Greyhound Racing Super Track at Taree following a meeting of stakeholders on Thursday.
The announcement comes after the Port Macquarie gathering of the region's three existing greyhound clubs - Taree, Wauchope and Kempsey - and representatives of the Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) Board and staff, to discuss the future of racing on the Mid North Coast.
Following the meeting the three clubs declared they will each work with the GRNSW board to approve and implement this in principle agreement.
As part of the agreement, Taree, Wauchope and Kempsey clubs will merge into one club, with representatives from each club taking positions on the initial board.
Neither the Kempsey or Wauchope tracks will close, and each venue will operate as a training facility once the Taree Super Track is completed.
The Taree racetrack will undergo a significant upgrade and upon completion is expected to be one of the leading racing facilities in the State.
"This is tremendous news for the participants on the Mid North Coast," GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Tony Mestrov said.
"We stressed not too long ago the significance and importance of the region and of having TAB racing on the Mid North Coast. In fact, part of the GRNSW Strategic Plan released in 2018 stated that all participants should have access to TAB racing, and the Mid North Coast had been one region where it was lacking.
"We remedied that by introducing TAB racing at both Taree and Wauchope, but this is now taking it to the next level for racing in the region.
"We have seen it with the new Grafton track which we completed last year, and I believe a Super Track at Taree will not only superbly cater for the participants of the Mid North Coast, but like Grafton it will attract trainers from around the State who will want to come there to race.
"I must thank all three clubs and their representatives for the way they have embraced this project, and while in these instances each club naturally has their own best interests at heart, it has been very pleasing to see each of the three clubs recognise the importance and benefit of a Super Track to the Mid North Coast region."
The presidents of all three clubs expressed their support for the clear direction agreed to for Mid North Coast greyhound racing.
"I couldn't be more excited with the prospects of the greyhound racing future in the Mid North Coast with the three clubs combining to achieve a super track on the mid north coast at Taree," Des McGeachie, the President of the Taree Greyhound Club said. "This is a great step forward for the industry."
Rex Nairn, President of the Wauchope Club added: "The Mid North Coast has always wanted and needed a high-quality TAB track to save long travel times for local participants.
"The Taree super track is a welcome step forward. I'd like to think that all trainers will appreciate racing on the new super track under the Mid North Coast structure."
It was an identical story from Kempsey President Sue Wade.
"The Kempsey club welcomes the move to reinvigorate Mid North Coast greyhound racing under the new merging of the three Mid North Coast clubs and the significant investment of a super track at Taree."
