Greyhound Racing NSW to head up Mid North Coast summit in early 2022 as doubts surround Wauchope, Kempsey tracks

Rumours have circulated that both venues could either be downgraded to trial-only tracks or be closed entirely for the new Mid North Coast greyhound complex.

Concerns over those rumours have increased since meetings scheduled for Wauchope were taken away from November until the end of January due to track safety concerns which required the rail to be replaced.

A Greyhound Racing NSW spokesperson said options would be discussed in early 2022.

"No decision has been made on racing on the Mid North Coast," the spokesperson said.

"Greyhound Racing NSW will head up for a Mid North Coast Summit with stakeholders in the New Year and will discuss all matters then."

It is understood GRNSW has no plans to close the tracks, however the clubs fear being downgraded to a trial-only track and losing TAB status would ultimately lead to closure.

"Greyhound Racing NSW have told us that we'll be better off financially, but it's more about the passion of the volunteers and people who have been there for years," Wauchope committee member Aaron Ison said.

"They won't see it that way. We're coming up to our 50th anniversary this Christmas, so if the rumours are true, it's going to be disappointing.

"The rail needs to be replaced, but it hasn't been done yet to make the track safe. It put an end to the annual Boxing Day carnival, but everything else is still up in the air."

Kempsey Macleay greyhound race track secretary Sam Simonetta said running a trial-only facility would not be a viable option for them either.

"They expect us to run a trial track for them and I said 'it's not going to happen because where are you going to get your volunteers'," he said.

"If it's a race track you can get volunteers who will say 'at least Kempsey is racing once a month', but if there's no racing, they're not going to give you enough money to pay for the workers."

Mr Simonetta said trainers and dogs needed to know every blade of grass at the track they would race on and trial-only tracks wasn't a financially viable option.

"Our expenses here are $30,000 to run the show and that's a bare minimum where you're only making $3000 to $4000 from trials," he said.

"You don't have to be a dummy to work out you're not going to be there long and that's their attitude. They don't care. All they're saying to us is they're giving us the opportunity to stay alive by being a trial track.

"If you don't, then that's your opportunity and if you close, that's your bad luck."

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