Orange City Council will review its funding of harness racing after claims the sport has breached an agreement for holding meetings in Orange.
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Concerns about the long-term future of Towac Park racecourse, what returns Orange had gained from about $1 million in council funding for all racing and why the state government had poured millions of dollars into Dubbo and Bathurst's tracks, but not Orange were also raised at this week's council meeting.
Council provides $20,000 a year to the Orange Harness Racing Club to hold two meetings in Orange - but this year they were run in Bathurst.
On the Pinnacle Road end it is just a fire hazard, there is nothing being done. In a lot of cases it is a blight on Orange.
- Cr Russell Turner
In a letter to council the club said it had to move the races from Towac Park because the drought and a lack of water had 'badly affected' the surface.
The harness racing club has sought to run meetings on grass at Towac Park after efforts to upgrade the trotting track on Perc Griffith Way failed.
Mayor Cr Reg Kidd said the trotting track was now in disrepair. "The buildings have been vandalised, there are broken windows, the thing around the track has fallen down, posts are all over the place, it's an absolute disgrace so they won't be returning out there," he said.
"Harness Racing NSW should be putting some money into it because all that is happening at the moment is Orange City Council ratepayers' money is putting $20,000 a year into it."
Council voted to meet with racing club officials to review the funding arrangement.
"The agreement has been breached already," Cr Kidd said.
He said council had spent nearly $1 million on racing in Orange. "What return has that got for the community of Orange? That's what I want to ask," he said.
Cr Kidd also said despite promises from Racing NSW, Towac Park had missed out on funding.
"In the last 12 months both Bathurst Turf Club and Dubbo Turf Club have got over $2 million each through state government stimulus for their racetracks and their amenities. What have we got here, nothing," he said.
Cr Tony Mileto said he was concerned Orange ratepayers' money was being spent in Bathurst.
Cr Russell Turner said he was worried about the long-term future of Towac Park.
He said attendance numbers had fallen significantly and the facilities were not being maintained.
"The whole complex has been struggling for a number of years," he said.
"There is very little being done to the complex as far as the toilets, the maintenance, the painting.
"I can see huge problems emerging over the next 10-15 years as to what happens to it. Ultimately it will be the state government's decision.
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"It is a huge unkempt block apart from the track itself. On the Pinnacle Road end it is just a fire hazard, there is nothing being done. In a lot of cases it is a blight on Orange. It's not our problem, but it is our problem because it's part of Orange."
Cr Scott Munro said there were prospects for Towac Park as an equine centre including showjumping and harness racing.
In its letter to council the harness racing club said apart from running the meetings in Orange it had met all other conditions of the funding agreement.
"The transfer of the 2020 meetings due to the exceptional circumstances was outside the control of Orange Harness Racing Club," it said.
It said council funding was needed to run those meetings and to run meetings in 2021.
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