20 December 2010

ICRC recommends racing industry pay for itself

| johnboy
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The ABC are reporting on a draft they’ve seen from the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission into the $7 million a year the ACT Goverment is paying to keep the racing industry happy and healthy in the ACT.

In this year’s budget the ACT Government stepped in, funding the industry $7 million a year for four years.

But in a draft report on the industry, the ICRC found the industry is not contributing enough to the ACT economy to warrant ongoing funding.

It has recommended the four-year period be seen as a transitional stage, allowing the industry to restructure and become more self-reliant.

Just think how many apartments they could squeeze onto Thoroughbred Park!

UPDATE: The draft report is now online.

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Who does set the dates? Are they part of some wider system designed to have races running somewhere everyday so that the poor saps sitting in some dingy TAB have something to throw their money away on?

Pretty much. The racing club would have the choice as to whether to hold the race on a different day though, only to do so, it would be a Non-TAB meeting and would not receive any of the support that comes with that.

At some point, someone has done the math and decided that TAB-support is more important than getting the public to come through the gates and attend the race.

Did you ever think that maybe the race club doesn’t get to choose it’s own race dates?

Who does set the dates? Are they part of some wider system designed to have races running somewhere everyday so that the poor saps sitting in some dingy TAB have something to throw their money away on?

“The difference between the racing industry and say, schools, hospitals, emergency services, etc is that racing provides no community benefit other than for those who want to gamble and the tax the government take. “

How much you wanna bet?

Mothy,
Did you ever think that maybe the race club doesn’t get to choose it’s own race dates?
Nah, they’re obviously too stupid to realise that they could make heaps more money by running every meeting on a Saturday arvo.

Gov says gambling is a large problem yet they throw millions at pokies, horse racing & any other type of gambling you can think of.

I love how it works.

To Heavs:

The difference between the racing industry and say, schools, hospitals, emergency services, etc is that racing provides no community benefit other than for those who want to gamble and the tax the government take.

Let ’em fund themselves.

Love your work Heavs.

Meanwhile – hint to ACT Racing – Your July to December race calendar has 13 race meetings on it, not ONE of which is a Saturday meeting, and 7 of which are Friday’s. Good luck getting the public on board with that effort.

See Moonee Valley’s night meetings over summer for the only model where Friday meetings are viable.

I don’t use schools. Stop funding them. I don’t want my taxes going to things I don’t use. Let those that use them pay for them.

All sports should pay their own way. Raiders, Brumbies the lot, if motor racing is not viable why not put the other sports to the same test. Lets not just stop at sport why not make the Canberra Theatre pay its own way instead of being given large handouts for the benefit of a small minority of the community. I am sure there are other examples of subsidised activities that would find it hard to justify funding from the public purse.

If the racing industry wants handouts, then why not make all bookies contribute to community, the same way pokies do. Why does it not surprise me, that the ACT has the only bookmaking industry in the world which is running at a loss and needs government assistance to survive.

There might be a job or two in carting the broken down race horses to the knackery, that’s if there is one in ACT.

I’m with JessP, let those that use it pay for it.

I have never been there and never probably will go there. Let those who want it pay for it….

I think you’ll find the racing industry employs a few more Canberrans on a annual basis than a once a year rally.

Having said that I’d like to see this same examination put towards the GWS AFL team funding. I reckon the ICRC would also fail to see a self reliance there!

Lopsided much?

When the ROC was asking for money Mr Barr was saying that the government could not afford to prop up ailing sporting events (they were asking no where near 7 million dollars either).

BUT the ACT Governement will support gambling & all the shite it causes??????

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