The long-awaited review into New South Wales’ Thoroughbred Racing Act risks becoming a “massive missed opportunity” unless it encompasses a review of the industry’s funding arrangements according to Thoroughbred Breeders NSW president Hamish Esplin.
The review, to be headed by former NSW Heath Minister Brad Hazzard, was announced last week by Racing Minister David Harris, with public consultation to take place from October ahead of a review which will be submitted to the Minister in 2026.
While the terms of the review of the Act, which came into effect in 1996, are fairly broad, there were two aspects which were determined to be out of scope.
The first was the provisions of the Act that establish Racing NSW as a body corporate that is independent of government, while the second is about the provisions of the Act that relate to thoroughbred racing industry funding arrangements.
Esplin may have been an outspoken critic of Racing NSW when he appeared at the Rosehill parliamentary inquiry, he agreed the regulator had become too powerful, but it was the omission of the considerations around funding which believe could “handicap it from the start”.
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