Employees from Greyhound Racing NSW known as “curators” were at Lithgow Greyhound Racing Track on July 21 inspecting the grounds to ensure it passed all safety requirements ahead of its next meeting.
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The track is set to reopen for a meeting on August 6 but the curators have outlined issues that need fixing ahead of that date for the meeting to go ahead.
Those working for Greyhound Racing NSW refused to speak to media but Lithgow Greyhound Association President John Brain said they outlined a number of things to work on ahead of the next meeting.
Mr Brain said they had a deadline of a fortnight to reach the requirements set out by Greyhound Racing NSW but it looked achievable.
“There’s sand to be put on the track, a camber and the boxes need matting,” Mr Brain said.
Mr Brain said a lot of volunteers would be needed to get the work done in such a short time frame.
“It’s not difficult but it’s a lot of shovel work,” he said.
“We’ve ordered some sand from Canberra and those who came down to inspect the track said it was in a reasonably good condition.”
If the work isn’t completed before the deadline the August 6 meeting will not go ahead but Mr Brain said it doesn’t mean the track is closing.
“If not ready by the next meeting then we’ll be ready for August 20,” he said.
Greyhound trainers in Lithgow are still coming to terms with the ban on dog racing coming in next year.
Announced two weeks ago, news the NSW Government would ban dog racing in the state from July 1, 2017 has sparked a massive debate on the issue across the country.
The Lithgow Greyhound Committee is scheduled to meet with Lithgow City Council this week to discuss the ban and how council can best support local trainers.
Lithgow City Council had resolved to support Lithgow Greyhound Racing Club and arrange a meeting with them as a matter of urgency at the last council meeting.
The ban on the sport was the result of a parliamentary inquiry into the sport that detailed the killing of thousands of greyhounds if they weren’t fast enough to race and the practice of live-baiting in the sport.
The inquiry also uncovered gross misconduct by Greyhound Racing NSW that continued up to last year even after new management had been brought in.
Greyhound Racing NSW’s board was thrown out following the ABC’s Four Corners report on greyhound racing exposing the practice of live-baiting which was also the catalyst for the inquiry into the sport.