The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission has announced the release of their Investigation into the ACT racing industry.
Somewhat curiously the ICRC has concluded that as the racing industry cannot be sustained by the market it should be sustained by the taxpayer. Every other business in town will be intrigued by this reasoning.
They do, however, suggest a radical restructuring of the ponies, harness racers, and dogs:
In response to industry changes across all jurisdictions, the Commission has proposed a process potentially leading to structural and governance changes for the ACT racing industry:
• The ACT Government, in conjunction with the three racing clubs in the ACT, should undertake a detailed investigation into the costs and benefits of replacing existing administrative structures and establishing a single independent administrative body to oversee the management of the three racing codes;
• Following an outcome from the proposed review of management and governance arrangements, the Government in conjunction with the ACT racing industry should undertake a detailed investigation into the feasibility of co-locating the three race codes at one ACT location.