YET another major Queensland newspaper has attacked the Government and Queensland Racing chairman Bob Bentley over proposed legislative changes that they fear will see an overhaul and loss of power for country racing.
The editorial opinion, in the latest edition of Queensland Country Life, suggests:
‘THE heavy hand of Queensland Government bureaucracy now seems determined to grab the reins of country racing and dispossess the large band of volunteers who have given their all for the sheer love of the sport.
In the process of overhauling country racing, the Government is set to dissolve the Country Racing Committee and Country Racing Association and replace them with a control body constitution.
Most serious threat to country racing is that the new constitution structure could reduce the allocation of country race meetings with impunity because the former safeguards against that happening are to be removed.
Central Western racing committee spokesman Gary Peoples said that under present legislation, the control body of Queensland Racing could not reduce the allocation of country race meetings. That legislation was set in law.
But Mr Peoples warns that a new constitution could decide to reduce meeting with little or no consultation with the country racing organizations most affected.
Mr Peoples and a legion of other concerned people are puzzled at the almost indecent haste with which the Government and racing control body are attempting to foist the changes on the industry.
Queensland Country Racing representatives have only until May 5 (that’s next Wednesday!) to respond to a range of options put forward by Queensland Racing Ltd (QRL) for the on-going operation of the Queensland Country Racing Committee.
QRL chairman Bob Bentley has claimed country racing in Queensland would emerge stronger as a result of the reform process under the direction of a united, three-code control body, aimed at protecting both industry and patrons.
This assurance is cold comfort for country racing committee people who suspect the move as trying to freeze them out of decision making on how and when country races should be run.
Mr Peoples warns that the legislation is already presented to Parliament which starts its next sitting on May 18 – hardly time to gather a comprehensive and reasoned response from far-flung segments of the industry.
There is a strong feeling that the Racing Minister, Peter Lawlor, should allow the three main pillars of the present system to remain. These are the Country Racing Committee, Country Racing Association and existing legislation to protect curtailment of country race allocations.
If these pillars were allowed to continue, Mr Peoples predicts that other restructure changes would satisfy most, if not all, of the Queensland country racing industry.
Adding his voice to protests against the proposed changes is Shadow Racing Minister, Ray Stevens, who says racing clubs across the State cannot believe they will be stripped of their assets for much less than they are worth and relinquish control of their clubs to be placed in the hands of “one misguided” chairman and his board.
EDITORIAL OPINION REPRODUCED COURTESY OF QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE
