The HRSA Board wishes to reaffirm that it remains resolute in its drive to seek the resignations of the SAHRC Committee.
Unfortunately, over time, the Board has lost confidence in the ability of the SAHRC Committee to properly oversee and administer the affairs of the club and harness racing at the State’s premier track.
The HRSA Board reiterates its determination that for harness racing to prosper in South Australia the principal club must be vibrant, however the SAHRC Committee has failed to demonstrate that it has any viable or feasible plans to arrest the escalating financial losses being incurred. The realities being that club’s fortunes under the current Committee have continued to decline and its financial performance significantly deteriorate.
With regard to financial performance the HRSA Board are mindful of comments made relating to the extent of financial support being afforded to the SAHRC club and in particular fees paid to SAHRC for the conduct of race meetings at Globe Derby Park. Therefore, HRSA confirms that the payments made to SAHRC for the conduct of race meetings in the year ended 30th June 2018 (excluding stake monies which are paid by HRSA) were $462,858 with this comprising:
Licence and Racing Date Agreement Fees $185,739
Head Lease Payment $101,581
SAHRC wage payments $175,538
Total race day fees paid $462,858
The monies paid to the SAHRC represents 5.1% of the total revenues received ($9,050,465) by HRSA during the financial year ended June 2018. These revenues being required to fund all stakes payments and to support all infrastructure costs of the industry in the state.
Note: The wage payments made by HRSA result from the 2015 lock-out by SAHRC and represent additional monies HRSA agreed to pay for the conduct of race meetings resulting from the resolution of the lockout.
Furthermore, HRSA states the following:
- The HRSA Board is committed to ensuring Globe Derby Park remains the principal harness racing venue in South Australia and at no stage does HRSA want racing to cease on a permanent basis.
- The HRSA Board believes that Globe Derby Park is an important facility for Adelaide’s northern area and that it must be maintained for its intended purpose – harness racing.
- The HRSA Board is not supportive of decisions made by the SAHRC to enter into conditional contracts to sell the majority of club property to a developer for the purposes of establishing mid-high-density residential housing.
- The HRSA Board believes that as a consequence of the SAHRC Committees performance the clubs health and on-going viability has been put at serious risk, and that resultantly the only way forward is the removal of the present Committee.
- That despite innumerable meetings, the HRSA and SAHRC have been unable to resolve their differences.
- That the `Cunningham Report’, which has been widely endorsed by the greater SA harness racing industry, sadly, still has not been adopted.
In summary, the HRSA Board believes that unless the current issues being faced by the industry are satisfactorily resolved, this being the removal of the SAHRC Committee, then harness racing in the state cannot progress but rather it will continue to struggle to remain relevant.
For further information please contact:
ROSS NEAL | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
(08) 8285 0700 • rneal@saharness.org.au
