THE greyhound racing industry was making headlines in Bathurst in 2023, and it's set to do the same in 2024.
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Kennerson Park, the Bathurst greyhound racing track, was destroyed by floods in November, 2022 and early the following year it was confirmed that the sporting facility would not be rebuilt on that site.
It was at the same time that the then-NSW Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers' Association (GBOTA) chief executive officer, Allan Hilzinger, revealed that a greyhound Centre of Excellence was in the planning stages.
But where would it be built?
Bathurst seemed like the natural choice, but then Orange tossed its hat into the ring.
Twelve months later, there's still no answer.
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole says that must change in 2024, calling on GBOTA and Greyhound Racing NSW to make a decision.
'We're talking about a $20 million industry'
Mr Toole is keen for the Centre of Excellence to be built in Bathurst.
"Let's not forget, when Orange closed their track a number of years ago, it was Bathurst that actually continued to race out here in the Central West, so it's important that is also honoured through Greyhound Racing NSW and GBOTA by building the track here in the Bathurst area," he said.
He's also calling on Bathurst Regional Council to put the city in "the best possible position" to secure the new facility by putting everything on the table.
That includes making a decision about land on Mount Panorama.
Mr Toole suggested the Mount Panorama precinct in 2023, and council later reached out to Greyhound Racing NSW to gauge the body's interest in the land and discuss the potential for it to house the Centre of Excellence.
However, the same parcel of land has a development application attached to it to build a go-kart track, and there is debate about whether it is big enough to house both sporting facilities.
Mr Toole noted the economic consequences if Bathurst doesn't secure the Centre of Excellence.
"We're talking about a $20 million industry here in the local area," Mr Toole said.
"This will be a $20 million loss to the economy if it is not retained here in the city of Bathurst."
But it's not the only decision related to the greyhound industry that Mr Toole says needs to be made fast.
'We're calling on the Minister to give assurances'
In December, 2023, it emerged that the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission could be on the move.
The commission has been operating out of one of the floors of the post office building since mid-2018 after a fit-out to the space that was said to be worth about $450,000.
Having been contacted by the Western Advocate in mid-December about the commission's future in Bathurst, a spokesperson for Racing Minister David Harris provided a short statement that did nothing to end the uncertainty.
"There are discussions regarding the best location for GWIC [Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission] moving forward," the spokesperson said.
"Before any decision is made, there will be consultation with stakeholders."
The Western Advocate subsequently asked the minister's office about which bodies are involved in the discussions about the best location for the GWIC and whether there was an idea of a timeline for when a decision might be made.
The minister's office said its previous statement stood and there was nothing to add at this stage.
Mr Toole said the staff who work at the commission, and the city as a whole, need clarity on what the future of the GWIC looks like.
"What they've done now is created a cloud of uncertainty over all those workers who are currently at the facility," he said.
He said Bathurst risks losing the economic injection provided by having the commission in the city.
"We're calling on the Minister to give assurances that it's not going to move out of Bathurst and it's not going to be relocated to a metropolitan area," Mr Toole said.
"This would just fly in the face of the importance of racing, and especially greyhound racing, when predominantly it occurs in the bush."