Canberra racing industry feeling unloved by ACT government

So much so, Canberra trainer Paul Jones says they'd happily let the government build them a new track on the other side of the NSW border.

That's despite the government's attempts to backpedal from revelations they were considering turning Thoroughbred Park, aka the home of racing in Canberra, into apartments along the light-rail route.

Canberra Racing were in the process of a $2 billion redevelopment of the site themselves, to help secure their financial future while also upgrading their facilities.

One trainer had spoken to someone who had seen plans for the site without a race track on it "a while back", indicating the government have been considering this idea for some time.

While Chief Minister Andrew Barr said they weren't planning to end racing in Canberra and the race club could stay in Lyneham for however long it wanted, Jones still didn't feel secure.

The government's proposal, released on Melbourne Cup Day, comes when the industry's already under attack from the ACT Greens and rising worker's compensation costs.

Those rising costs led to a trainer exodus into NSW, with Matthew Dale the latest to join in and lock in an official move to Goulburn in four weeks.

Jones felt the proposal to kick racing off Thoroughbred Park was driven by the Greens, rather than the Labor government.

"I'm not feeling very much loved, put it that way," Jones said.

"If it's an industry they don't want in Canberra they're slowly weeding us out.

"I don't feel secure put it that way. I'm not really feeling the love."

Fellow Canberra trainer Keith Dryden agreed with Jones that it was more a push from the Greens rather than from Labor.

He didn't want to comment too much until he'd read the government's proposal in full.

But like the rest of the Canberra racing industry, he'd been taken by surprise by the plans to investigate whether the race track should be turned into outdoor play spaces, housing and shops.

Dryden's been critical of the Greens in the past labelling them "economic terrorists" as they look to shut down an industry worth millions of dollars to the ACT economy.

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"We were surprised by the earlier statement made on Melbourne Cup Day when we were caught unawares of a change of direction, but I haven't read the whole policy they've put forward and I don't want to make a strong comment until after I've read that," Dryden said.

"I think Labor are trying to work with us and the Greens are working against."

Jones said if the government wanted them out of the ACT then they'd happily accept a new track just across the border in NSW.

That would help solve the rising worker's compensation costs, which were massively lower in NSW, and also help the trainers tap into the rivers of gold Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys was currently generating with the help of a supportive state government.

Jones felt a new track in Queanbeyan or even out towards Sutton could be an option.

"Shit yeah ... somewhere close so it doesn't lose the identity of Canberra, but over the NSW border, which would assist us in worker's compensation and no longer be under the jurisdiction of the ACT - falling into the hands of Mr V'landys and all the benefits that come with it," Jones said.

Dale said all the turmoil and uncertainty would make it hard to lure trainers back to Canberra.

He said it was almost at the point where the club needed to leave the ACT.

"How do they ever get trainers back there? Obviously worker's comp's one issue ... to me it's getting to the state where they've nearly got to get to the point of building a new track in NSW," Dale said.

"Close Queanbeyan, close Canberra and build a new track on the border somewhere that's classed as NSW and that would solve all problems.

"But how many years down the track is that? And how much unrest is that?"

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