Monday, April 14, 2025
The Hon. David Harris MP
Minister for Gaming and Racing
NSW Parliament
6 Macquarie Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Dear Minister Harris,
We write to you as a united group of key stakeholders in the thoroughbred racing industry deeply concerned about the future of horse racing in New South Wales.
We thank the Government for its ongoing commitment to best practice in legislative review and your ‘in principle’ support for a review of the Thoroughbred Racing Act 1996. We request that the Government now expedite such a review. A review is timely given that the regulator, Racing NSW, is not subject to the direction and control of the Minister for the purposes of accountability to the Parliament. Nor is the regulator subject to audit by the Auditor General, as suggested by the Thoroughbred Racing Amendment Bill (2023) passed by the Legislative Council on 30 November 2023.
The recent Parliamentary Inquiry into the Proposal to Sell Rosehill Racecourse unearthed systemic issues that go far beyond a single decision about the ATC’s primary asset.
The Inquiry revealed:
• An erosion of trust in the governance structures currently in place
• A growing divide between the controlling body and those it exists to represent and serve.
The Government’s support for a review of the Act represents a crucial opportunity to strengthen the integrity of the industry. However, the success of this process hinges on it being genuinely independent, free from interference, and led by a credible, neutral figure who holds public trust.
This is not about politics or personalities. It is about the long-term integrity and sustainability of one of NSW’s most culturally and economically significant industries to give the industry a fair and proper review process.
We are calling on you, as Minister, to:
1. Publicly commit to ensuring the review of the Racing Act is fully independent.
2. Appoint a reviewer who is genuinely independent, possesses a good understanding of the racing industry, and has proven expertise in governance and public interest matters.
3. Provide a clear timeline and terms of reference for the review that are developed transparently and in consultation with all key industry stakeholders.
The future of racing cannot be built on fractured trust, opaque decision-making, or resistance to scrutiny. We believe in the power of this industry to evolve and thrive – but only if the structures that govern it are reset with integrity, transparency, and fairness.
We all look forward to making constructive submissions to be considered as part of the
review.
Yours sincerely,
27 concerned senior industry stakeholders