CONSTRUCTION of a $12 million new greyhound racing track at Logan will commence in May this year, delivering on the Newman Government’s election promise to rejuvenate the racing industry in Queensland.

Racing Minister Steve Dickson said the one turn track development was of pivotal importance to the future of the greyhound industry.

“The project will be funded through the Newman Government’s $110 million Racing Industry Capital Development Scheme,” Mr Dickson said.

 

Mr Dickson said the new track was a replacement venue for the Gold Coast Greyhound Racing Club which had previously conducted races at the Parklands venue on the Gold Coast.

“Greyhound racing ceased at Parklands in 2008, with the previous Labor Government failing to deliver a replacement venue,” he said.

“However, we know that the industry is important for Queensland’s economy, so we are delivering where Labor failed.

“Greyhound racing in Queensland has had a long and proud history and it is the government’s desire to build on that history and see greyhound racing progress and prosper.”

Racing Queensland Chairman Kevin Dixon said this approval is the culmination of a significant amount of preliminary work which will now see construction commence in the near future.

“Racing Queensland as the new regulatory body has been about detailed preliminary planning to facilitate the quickest possible completion of projects following approval,” Mr Dixon said.

“We have shown this recently with the Toowoomba Turf track construction completed in an unprecedented time frame and Logan will be no different.”

Racing Queensland CEO Darren Condon said the Greyhound industry had needed a one turn track for some time and this facility delivered, with state of the art facilities for participants and the public.

“This announcement will give the code a significant lift with the Logan project now a reality,” Mr Condon said.

Mr Dickson also announced a $1.2 million annual investment in appearance fees to reward trainers who race greyhounds in Queensland.

“There would be no industry without our trainers and this is about increasing their return and putting racing money back into the industry to ensure it has a strong foundation on which to grow,” he said.

QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT MEDIA RELEASE