Changes ‘threat to small clubs’

Press, 5 September 1980, Page 10

Changes ‘threat to small clubs’

PA . Levin The Levin Racing Club sees its future —and that of small racing clubs generally —threatened by wide powers proposed by the Government for the T.A.B.

The club hopes: all small clubs will vigorously oppose the Racing Amendment Bill.

Members were told at the club’s' annual meeting that if Parliament passes the bill into law in its present form, the club, and similar smaller clubs, could be dictated to as to where and when race meetings are held. The bill changes the name of the T.A.B.from Totalisator Agency Board to Totalisator Administration Board. “That means,” said the vicepresident of the club (Mr W. G. Ward) “that, it will have control of all monies, oncourse and off-course. ?

"The implications- are farreaching, especially to small country clubs. It. could accelerate regionalisation.. The new T.A.B. could tell clubs when and where to operate.” The secretary (Mr J. Watters) said the original concept of the T.A.B.' was as an agency of clubs. — “Under the new bill the reverse could apply.; The bill

appears to be taking, away the freedom of choice of clubs as to whether they can run their own tote dr whether the new T.A.B. does. “For instance, for ease of operation the T.A.B. could group meetings together in one area. To reduce costs they could say that they, are bringing’ their on-course equipment to an area for a fe.v weeks and all clubs in that area might have to race on one course,’’ he said. : “If the T.A.B. decided it was not going to have oncourse equipment for a particular meeting, that could mean, in effect, that there would be no meeting. Under the bill it is given powers that could be interpreted in this way. “We want the bill to allow a consortium of clubs to have its own tote,” Mr Watters said. Mr Watters said the club had no objection to the T.A.B.’ conducting on-course betting but did not like the move being enforced by an act of Parliament. He said ,the club believed the;-T.A.B. was underestimating "the cost of installing an on-course system and overestimating the cost of the options.