Here is the link to an 8 minute interview with the Chair of the MRC.
PS: From ‘The Argus’, 1912
March 22, 2013
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- March 22, 2013 at 5:02 PM
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Glen Eira Debates %d
March 23, 2013 at 8:37 AM
Ah, the old take a half truth, spin it your way and repeat it often enough and loud enough propaganda trick that hopefully results in it being accepted as truth. Unfortunately, it usually works and it looks like doing so again
March 23, 2013 at 3:20 PM
Good find GED. I wonder what happened after WW11 with Bolte in charge of Victoria from 1955 to 1972. He came from Ballarat, a supporter of racing and owner of few thoroughbreds himself. He also introduced off-course betting TAB. I imagine it was a great time for the Caulfield racecourse club VATC.
March 24, 2013 at 12:30 PM
More journalistic hyperbole [aka lies]. The Council Position concerning Caulfield Racecourse Reserve appeared *last* in the Officer Reports section, hardly “top of the agenda”. Within the Item, removal of horse training was just one of 10 numbered paragraphs, and appeared at #3. There is no indication the numbering carried any special significance, but it certainly wasn’t #1.
Anyway the interview establishes that Mornington is close to capacity for horse training [~450] without further investment, and that Sandown is essentially a “clean sheet”. For Sandown to be viable apparently there needs to be “investment”, and as a result MRC prefers to remain at Caulfield. What wasn’t stated is that the MRC gets to control land at Caulfield very cheaply, through the hidden subsidy the Government provides. A complication with Sandown is an existing V8 supercar deal with another 6 years to run. Also revealed is that MRC has no contingency plan, or any plan, for the medium or long-term relocation of horse training. History reveals it will take the Australian Army to shift them.
March 25, 2013 at 6:49 PM
Bring back the Army then. Why have a plan when your’e on such a good wicket at very little cost. Times were so tight for the MRC they were able to purchase 12 hotels worth about 12 Million dollars and with 800 accompanying poker machines which profit about $40,000.00 each.
Currently, this non profit sporting club which has declared a gross income of $300M receives concessional gambling taxation rates at all their racing club and hotel venues paying only 25 cents in the dollar compared to Zagames wand all other privatelyt owned hotel which pay 33 cents in the dollar.. In addition the MRC receives concessional rating from council for the car parking and even uses Crown Land to raise parking revenue. Zagames ect. need to own freehold land for parking and would pay full rates.
When Bolte was premier, he suggested training tracks at Aspendale and Epsom be sold up and the then V.A.T.C.(now MRC) collect the profits to build grandstands at Sandown which it could not afford to develop although it owned the property as freehold. Not as bad idea for the club!
Added to this the club now receives cheap rates at our expense, via subsidies (as it provides a pub;ic facility) and the right to close our roads whenever the club or its tenants wish, even without notice.
Not a bad deal for the V.A.T.C.(now MRC) sell land and pocket the money for its own purposes and then overtake the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve with eight or so TRAINING TRACKS and then carving up the whole area leaving only a pip for the public to use if they can bear to enter tunnel entry if the gates are ever open…. and you are forbidden to play ball games in the pip of the 110acres.