Exactly. But hardly "fact". So those Northern River dogs would have nowhere to race or will be restricted in opportunities in NSW. They will therefore be sold/leased to Qld/raced in Qld/magically disappear. Which one would you choose?

It would likely be a stimulus for Qld to build track X. And to fill empty boxes and/or upgrade class of races. As you say, they are struggling for dogs now. Maidens/Novices/shorts are relatively recent phenomena at Albion on Thursday. Never used to be there.

Smaller but similar incentives would apply to dogs in Wagga/Temora etc going to Vic. PAW could show them the way.

WA and SA could also benefit from NSW 5th graders. WA already offers incentivised grading for Eastern dogs and is short of higher grade racers.

Yes, a big upheaval in NSW but not so much for Australia-wide racing. Customers could not care less where the track is located (many don't know anyway). Aggregate prize money could be retained as other states would have to put on more meetings. They won't mind that.

The more interesting point is how GRNSW/GWIC will be able to justify staff numbers as racing activity declines.

as soon as the current crop of dogs had finished racing and/or pups already born, there would be no more following cause nsw folk would mostly stop breeding. it would return back to struggle city straight away again imo.

you r not looking at the bigger picture.

You, Mark and John are living in fairyland.

I actually like your concept but it already exists today - bar the dog track. Numerous other licensed clubs service these areas and the police would be most unlikely to support another one, especially not if it has pokies.

The prospect of selling Wenty or any other track would raise a political storm like nothing you have ever seen. Wenty is a "park", or part thereof, and gained a track pre WW2 when things were much different. Elsewhere, most tracks are government owned via the Lands Dept or Councils and all are subject to usage limitations, zoning and possible flood risks. Greenies would have a field day.

I cannot believe we are raising Cessnock again, especially in a climate where some track rationalisation is a near certainty. Whatever I said before, double it now. Ditto for Temora gaining TAB status. It will be lucky to survive in any form, no matter what its merits.

There is only one answer and it's the same old one. Change government policy on greyhound racing. People and politics.

You may be right but you are assuming that those NSW people take no action at all other than to let things die away. There are options.

Anyway, we don't know what the scheme will be at the moment. Once that is clear my guess is that participants will take a variety of actions. I listed a few.

I mentioned virtually every part of Australia in my comment so I am intrigued by your big picture point. Especially as you yourself are considering only one outcome.

Qld build a new track?? Who's away with the fairies Bruce?
You show little empathy for Trainers! But interested in Staff numbers at GRNSW/GWIC.

Bruce please check field numbers in SA! WA! QLD! even Vic are having nomination problems. Sending dogs there from NSW would be a very short "Quick-Fix".
BTW To answer your first question. A..Why would you want to know? I have 15 Retired Grey's now Bruce. If the Industry closed I would have 27! Question for you, how will I afford to feed them all? With no P/M coming in. Best shoot them & go fishing, or play Golf?

Nobody says it will be easy. In fact it is a gigantic mess because of all the usual reasons.

It will get easier only when we get the people of NSW onside and force a change in government policy.

But Nth River dogs can always increase their proportions of BGC/IPSW starters, can't they? And last Saturday Cannington ran 7 short fields out of 11 and they also programmed 5 x 380m races. That's desperation, mate. The need dogs.

Anyway, the biggest losses will be incurred by folk who cant justify their existing infrastructure any more. My basic point was that options are available for the dogs - maybe not perfect but they are there.

We are now over 3 years from the live baiting scare and the ban and the resultant downturn in breeding. That accentuated an existing modest reduction in breeding numbers, which is then the source of all the empty boxes. Remedial action has been minimal or non-existent. Normally, when that happens you would sack the management and get fresh blood with business nous. In NSW you can't do that until you change government policy and attitudes. It all comes back to the same old problem.

Bruce: We have a racing Minister who should be asking GRNSW to explain all this discontent, and try and Justify to him some of their decision making! Now that's not to hard a task! Do your JOB Mr. Toole.

The only one doing it is Mr Borsak.

The systems exist - a big one and a small one - and you have to work within them. The small one is GRNSW/GWIC where they are firing other people's bullets or where they have to get other firm's support to do anything significant. (Even the horrible Ozchase form system was designed by a Canberra consultant).

The big one started with Baird/Grant personally and has ended up with Toole while Grant mutters in the background (he does not like greyhounds).

Toole spoke and voted in favour of the ban, despite having a busy track in his backyard. Now that he has a higher paying job he can sign off on whatever the Reform Panel came up with BUT he will say (when it suits him) that he sits at arm's length from the two authorities so go and ask them. At other times he will interfere (as all Ministers do) and tell them how high to jump.

In total, the two authorities will follow the book, the Minister will do nothing unless pressed hard - preferably by a party majority. He will not be interested in "all the discontent" unless something big gets in the newspapers. If that happens he will just waffle anyway. He got his job because he said yessir three bags full to Baird and Grant. Such is the pecking order.

The industry now has only one challenge and only one solution. First, to get to all the other MPs, asking for a major review, and second, do it professionally with a complete package of background, analysis, reasons, answers and solutions. That involves much more than just the items that affect trainers.

What is "discontent" to you is just boring to the government. You have to present a story which explains how you win and they win at the same time.

By the way, Borsak needs that story, too, in which case he will be even more useful than he already is. We should all sing from the same hymn sheet.

To all who disagree with Bruce
I have a small fresh produce business in sydney and can tell you that over the last 3 years customers,turnover and spend rate is dropping.My competetors have sold off,closed down,going broke.Chain stores are complaining as well.When company's like Wesfarmers want to break off coles from their portfiolio,write off 1.5 billion on bad investments,this adds up to a fast approaching recession.(blood bath this time).As shops close and people vacate the city centres for cheaper rents out west,bad times are coming.
This leads to the need to get lib/lab/sff etc to speak up on the above and put in written practise the statements of feb 2017.
Tracks need to be revised and reduced and agreed upon as the industry will suffer if not done before hand.The industry in NSW needs to be streamlined NOW and running with full support of members and participance.
This economy is going into recession.We need to be heard clear and loud and changes made even if you don't like them all.If we keep waiting/asking,the industry will be flattened like the economy.
The government know this is coming,thus spending money on schools roads etc.If this industry is still upside down it will take a long time coming before it can restart again.
It needs to be theoretically shut down and rebooted now as real hard times are coming.As elections will be happening,now is the time to be heard and push your local pollies into listening,as after there will be no money to give to anyone or thing.

I agree with some of your points but not the rationale.

I suggest you need to differentiate between recession and adjustments to longstanding market practices. In your day job the supermarkets have effectively put paid to local grocers, butchers and greengrocers by (a) price and convenience, (b) direct and more efficient linkages to growers and (c) freshness (the supermarkets used to have terrible quality vegies etc). The exceptions are few and are limited mostly to chains which act much as the supermarkets do (Harris Farms for example). I use both regularly and used to do it professionally for my food shop.

If there are losers it is the growers who cannot bring to bear sufficient power but who are also subject to worldwide influences affecting everything from bananas to butter to milk.

Overall, there is no evidence of a recession at all - quite the
opposite. Just how individual sectors get on is not as relevant as the total effort.

Additionally, NSW government finances are boosted by both asset sales and property charges. The latter income is not even remotely at risk while population increases and re-zoning continue unabated. Badgery's Creek will help even more. Actually, the rate of increase may well increase itself. This is why Gladys can spend millions on roads and stadiums and more police on the beat.

There will always be winners and losers, as there have been for centuries. That's why your shirt is made in China or Bangladesh.

Greyhound racing is almost completely outside these effects. Its income is entirely dependent on betting, which normally remains strong even during a recession (which we will not have anyway).

What it does depend on are rules, management and government policy, all of which are horrors today but theoretically fixable.

If there is to be track rationalisation (by the present mob) it will not fix any of the above problems and is more likely to make them worse. They do not realise they are running a commercial business where the two primary needs are to have a good product and to find new customers to add to the old.

Even so, I make the point that some rationalisation is always worth looking at - and has occurred in the past. Orange into Bathurst. Penrith into Richmond. HPK into Wenty (sadly). Queanbeyan into Canberra. Griffith into (wherever). Albury into Wagga/Shepparton. More is possible without affecting the state too much. Casino/Lismore or Young/Cowra are obvious candidates.

Woolworths used to offer soggy lettuce leaves whereas they now offer smart fresh ones in three or four varieties plus a sprinkler system to keep them that way, all in air-conditioned comfort and with a garage in the basement.

That's what we need. To some extent we have a good start as most of the product is sold in well-equipped licensed clubs and pubs. But we need to do more - starting off with a campaign to convince the public that the greyhound is a wonderful animal that you can have fun with. If that happens, they will tell their MPs.

Central Coast. 15 min walk from Gos track.

Household debt is very high (boosted by McMansions) which then impacts on spending. As does the electricity nonsense. But note that Coles and Woolies are maintaining turnover despite the addition of Aldi and now others to the food and grocery business.

Of course, Franklins has gone while I find IGA stores crappy and Metcash can't quite get a run on. Such is competition.

Whitegoods are suffering as people can defer a frig replacement. But new vehicle sales have never been better. And 87,000 people just paid a motza to attend a football match which they could have seen at home for nothing.

More people are buying pre-made meals, going to restaurants, and now ordering fresh food online - all indications they have enough cash to spend on basics plus extra service when they could save piles of money by doing their own cooking. Woolies meat counter does not even vaguely resemble the one they had 10 years ago while yoghurt has gone from almost nothing to entire aisle.

Overall, growth is already above RBA objectives even though the mining boom is now a distant memory. Inflation is low.

Employment and extra jobs numbers are strong and workers are about to get a modest wage increase on Jul 1st. Public infrastructure work translates immediately into wages in the community.

Sure there are ups and down and many changes - it's a fast moving world. But betting on racing will go on regardless, as it always has done. If we had decent management, or any management, it would be even better.

Let me add another comment on Harris Farms shops as that is your speciality.

They seem to be doing well. They always have terrific specials out front as well as other gimmicks like low prices for "misshapen" items or oldish food. They use a spruiker and offer great deals for full boxes. Even so they often whack you for most basic items, no doubt partly because they know many shoppers will just select without caring about the price.

Very little of that applied to the traditional greengrocer who also had to take a small truck to the market for his supplies, in contrast to a semi-trailer which Harris or Coles use to move their stuff. They have been out-marketed. It's called progress, unit cost efficiency and competition.

Do any of our state authorities or clubs do stuff like that? Do they even know it is an option? No way. The best we have are GAP programs (which are good) but they did not choose those, they were forced into it. I would get Harris Farms to run greyhound racing.

EXTERNAL LINK

Quote:

"The GRNSW Track Maintenance Department were contacted by the GOULBURN club on 25/06/18 with concerns about the state track surface. A member of the Track Maintenance Dept was sent to GOULBURN and in consultation with the club staff remedial works were undertaken to produce a track surface that was suitable for racing. These works continued until a lack of light forced them to be halted. Further works were undertaken on the morning of 26/06/18.

The officiating Stewards arrived on track at 0845hrs and an immediate track inspection was undertaken accompanied by the club track staff & GRNSW Track Maintenance Dept representative. Remedial action continued to be undertaken and the start of the race programme was put back by 1 race to provide extra time for the remedial works to be successful. Further inspections were carried out at approximately 10:10am & 11:15am.

At 11:30am the officiating Stewards made the decision to abandon the meeting as the track was deemed to be unsafe for racing. The TAB was advised of the decision, and Stewards requested that a public address system announcement was made to convey the decision to the persons on course.

End Quote

Still vague as to what they did on the Monday prior to the race meeting on Tuesday.

JUST MAYBE because of canberra'S dates having gone to Goulburn someone has decided that canberra 's toffe apples haven't completely won the fight by closing Canberra so next best thing is to start cancelling meetings at GOULBURN

i KNOW ,I KNOW i AM A SUSPICIOUS BASTARD . but we all know what some of these mongrels are capable of,.

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