The SMH reports the "the purpose of the (Maitland) Riverlink was to connect the riverfront with the town centre of Maitland - under pressure from the opening of a nearby shopping centre".

This is the sort of thing I have been suggesting for yonks for the Maitland Showground, run by the once influential Show Society and now clapped out, run down and accessible only via a side street. Greyhound racing is by far its most regular tenant.

The area is huge, but wasted, and could easily form the basis of a multi-sport and recreational venue in such an important and growing region. Someone needs to talk to the city fathers (or mothers - the Mayor is Loretta Baker) about long term developments.

Throngs of people visiting over a 7 day week could only benefit greyhound racing - perhaps gaining some new owners and trainers in what was once one of the heartlands of the code. It still is to some extent but the influence is fading.

Mechanical hare racing was launched in December 1927 at Maitland, Cessnock and Newcastle, not long after the sport got its start in Sydney. Show Societies were big then, too, but alas no longer as the world has changed course and moved on.

Bob,

Two subjects there.

I preferred Maitland over Cessnock for two major reasons. It is better located, relative to the population. And it is part of a fast growing business and residential area, as illustrated by the Riverlink program. Public facilities at Maitland are shaky but miles better than Cessnock and its dusty wind-swept betting ring. GRA agreed.

Secondly, as a kid, I can remember picking up the paper each winter and reading about the floods at Maitland. That was fixed later (mostly), so indicating that engineering can triumph over adversity. It still can.

As a matter of interest, Centennial Park, the SCG and the Showground are essentially built on flood-prone land (note the little lake next to the SCG). George St in town was once a river - the Tank Stream. Olympic/football fields at Homebush are all on swamp land (which is why they were available for development pre-2000).

Where there is a will, there is a way.

Bob,

Wetlands are wetlands, fill them in, and the water will find its way on to adjoining properties. Just like raising the level of your
perpetually soggy suburban backyard, your neighbors will love you for it.

I dont know what U smoke Bruce but it aint legal the position where the show ground is relative to the river bank is the other direction there is no reason for anyone to go that way bar going there to dogs or trots couple times a year, as usual u are just gibbering and if u really want something done go tell the council of your great plans I bet they will think what I do what a dribbler. The area around the river has been cleaned up and looks good but about 3% of locals go there to shop or go out to eat there are a few very good restaurants down there but everything is just easier to go to green hills. But great thread keep up the good work

I said GRA, not GA. Bob Cartwright was Secretary then.

Face interfered, got his friendly "consultants" in Newcastle to do the Mait/Cess report which they stuffed up. For example, they surveyed owners addresses out of the formguide but that contains addresses only for trainers, not owners. They also got the wrong financial figures for Maitland. I have a report copy somewhere.

Cessnock, like Face, was Labor, Maitland was variable. Hence Cessnock got the prize - for a while. Then reality set in and the decision was reversed.

Later Cessnock appealed - on the advice of a poor lawyer - lost out, which they had to do, and then stuck the rest of the industry for half a mill to pay for their incompetence (or worse). Not a good look. And while they were racing they had a dust bowl. But very good crumbed cutlets.

Floods - I was talking about the WW2 years mate. I swam in our sunken front garden at Epping - some 800 ft ASL. By 1955 I was out of the country, but listening to 2KY and getting the Recorder a couple of weeks late by boat.

"I dont know what U smoke Bruce but it aint legal the position where the show ground is relative to the river bank is the other direction there is no reason for anyone to go that way bar going there to dogs or trots couple times a year, as usual u are just gibbering and if u really want something done go tell the council of your great plans I bet they will think what I do what a dribbler. The area around the river has been cleaned up and looks good but about 3% of locals go there to shop or go out to eat there are a few very good restaurants down there but everything is just easier to go to green hills. But great thread keep up the good work".

Mate, I am well aware of the geography and I am also aware that Show Societies are now mostly a dead loss to the communities - which is why they have been overtaken by more modern approaches - agricultural field days, for example. They have been in decline since the 1900s and were the subject of a Premier's review at that time.

My point was twofold. First, there is a large community asset going to waste - used only by a weekly dog meeting, a few trials and the odd buckjumper. Second, I put forward a suggestion which was consistent with the nature of the Riverlink theme. If the locals and the GBOTA don't want to bring it into the 21st century then that is their problem, not mine.

Mind you, the inaction is consistent (from the greyhound viewpoint) with the long list of crappy and poorly used racing facilities around the state. The industry appears to think that rabbits will be pulled out of hats and all will be wonderful in the future. It's not going to happen. Greyhound racing desperately needs partners for growth and development, but you have to make it happen.

See, for example, the multi-user nature of the Homebush site. Or any shopping centre. Or any big building. The common factor is lots of people moving around the place 7 days a week. Randwick and Rosehill racecourses pull in lots of non-racing interests throughout the year.

In passing, the government (Lands Dept) my have an interest in the Maitland site but as leased to the Show Society (not sure of details).

You are talking of the detail - which is something I have not studied and don't really want to. Nevertheless, Maitland is the centre of fast growing population, partly as an expansion of the Newcastle city. The region is also diversifying from its declining steel and mining backgrounds into tourism, recreational, historical, vineyard and thoroughbred fields.

All I offer is a principle which calls on greyhound racing and others to try to construct their own future, rather than let it be done to them. One offers hope, the other doesn't.

Just a few years ago I made a (very rare) visit to Dapto. If I squinted a bit all I could see is what was there in the 1950s, even including the old AWA ticket counters, plus a chunk of badly designed concrete. And that is one of the most financial clubs around - which keeps getting prizes for neat books.

Here's another one. To find your way into the Gosford track a visitor would need a double set of GPS gadgets just to locate the entrance. So-called remodelling has blocked off or removed the welcome signs and entrance gates. A weekly ad in the local paper was cut out some time back. The view of races is significantly worse than the former cheap "grandstand". The motley collection of buildings is better than the ramshackle stuff at Maitland but still pretty ordinary.

Such is life.

Bob,
Certainly showgrounds have had their day. Historically, they worked fine and catered for a variety of uses, sometimes including harness and dog tracks. But, gradually, community groups have gone their own way - football, agriculture and even shows themselves have found other and better ways of sorting out their needs.

During this process finances became more risky as they were always run on the smell of an oily rag and often dependent on one event per year. Consequently, lacking commercial viability, the paint started peeling, usage declined and finances became even worse.

To start with, it needs initiative from state government (the old Lands Dept etc) to create a new model in conjunction with local councils - all designed to multiply the number and variety of uses.

The Olympics did it for Homebush so you now have 10 or 20 groups making hay while the sun shines - extending to housing in the nearby area. One bleeds off the other.

The actual solution will be different in every location but the principle remains the same. Multi-user and modern.

Theoretically, the government knows this, which is why they conducted the review back in the 1990s (run by the National Trust). But it got pigeon holed - in fact, the report was never released.

What is needed is Superman and Batman to stir up the whole state and move it all into the 21st Century. Greyhounds can only benefit when that happens.