New Zealand reform board takes recommendations to clubs in five roadshows
New Zealand’s Racing Industry Reform Programme Establishment Board will take its recommendations on the future structure of the sport to thoroughbred and harness clubs and participants in five roadshows across both islands from November 18 to 23.
The board has submitted its recommendations to TAB NZ, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and Harness Racing New Zealand (HRNZ) after assessing options for the industry’s governance, operations and infrastructure funding.
Board chair and programme director Dean McKenzie will present the process to date, the recommendations and the rationale behind them, along with an update on the programme’s next stages, the board said.
The meetings are at the following venues:
- Ascot Park, Invercargill: November 18, 10–11.30am
- Addington Raceway, Christchurch: November 19, 10–11.30am
- NZB Phar Lap Room, Karaka: November 20, 10–11.30am
- Cambridge Raceway: November 20, 2–3.30pm
- Awapuni, Palmerston North: November 23, 10.30am–noon
The board, which is funded by and reports to TAB NZ, was formed in August to help resolve the racing industry’s structural deficit. Significant changes remain subject to approval by the relevant organisations and to consultation requirements.
Its work follows a June advisory committee report that proposed a single governing body for both codes and a central property vehicle pooling club venues. The report estimated that the industry’s combined deficit would exceed NZ$50 million a year between 2026 and 2028.
