Safeguards around Victoria’s racing industry will be further strengthened following the establishment of the Victorian Racing Integrity Board.
Victorian Minister for Racing Martin Pakula announced appointments to the board, which will come into operation on 1 August 2019.
The Victorian Racing Integrity Board will have a broad range of functions across the three codes – thoroughbred, harness and greyhound – including endorsing annual integrity plans, providing recommendations on integrity budgets, policies and licensing, and considering proposed amendments to the rules of racing.
Board members include some of the most qualified legal and racing figures in Australia, led by Chairperson Jack Forrest, who previously held the position of principal judge of the common-law division of the Supreme Court.
The Chairperson will be supported by three Deputy Chairpersons – barrister and former Family Court judge Peter Young QC, former Racing Victoria head of integrity Dayle Brown and magistrate Jacqueline Billings.
There are five general members of the board: Brian Gurry, Hayden Opie, Kate Savage, Amelia Lynch and John Barrett.
The Victorian Government is working to ensure Victoria remains the pre-eminent racing state in Australia, with the Victorian Budget 2019/20 including a $72 million boost for local racing infrastructure and events and a $40 million contribution to increase prizemoney for participants across the codes.
The Victorian racing industry contributes $4.3 billion to the economy each year and sustains more than 33,000 equivalent full-time jobs across the state.
Source: Vic Government