Greens want open space, not Greyhound tracks

BY LUCAS BAIRD

Greens MP, Jamie Parker, has labelled the Premier’s reversal of the greyhound racing ban as “disappointing” because it will deprive the Ultimo and Pyrmont community of key green space.

The NSW member for Balmain believed that the ban would free up a portion of Wentworth Park, which is currently used as a dog racing track, to be used for community activities and facilitate sports grounds.

However, after Mike Baird announced the decision to overturn the ban on October 11, the Greyhound Breeders, Owners, and Trainers Association (GBOTA) has confirmed to City Hub  that they plan to stay at Wentworth Park.

“There is a huge unmet demand for sporting facilities and we have seen that the gambling industry seems to have prevailed,” Mr Parker told City Hub

“If that [Wentworth Park track] was made available, there would be huge opportunities for sporting fields and recreational facilities that are in huge demand for things like soccer, but also netball and other sports that have very little infrastructure to allow people to participate.”

But GBOTA Chief Executive, Brenton Scott, said that it is the association’s intention to see out their current licence because  “Greyhound racing has been part of the social fabric of the Inner-West since the 1930s”.

“We believe that we have contributed to the community […] Greyhound racing has been conducted in a way that has not caused disruption to the community, and our presence at the venue has underpinned its commerciality,” he said.

Mr Scott also claimed they are not at odds with the community’s needs and that they would continue to work with them to have a “reasonable” provision of other recreational activities at the venue.

The GBOTA’s license for the venue is due to expire in 2027. But they have indicated they would look to make use of the facility past that, despite the government and Urban Growth planning a comprehensive urban renewal project for the surrounding Bays Precinct.

Spaces to Play and Pyrmont Action were contacted for comment on this story, but neither replied to City Hub ’s requests.