Victoria’s Minister for Racing, Martin Pakula, today announced appointments to the new Victorian Racing Integrity Board, which will come into operation on 1 August.
The Victorian Racing Integrity Board will have a broad range of functions across the three codes – thoroughbred, harness and greyhound – including endorsing annual integrity plans, providing recommendations on integrity budgets, policies and licensing, and considering proposed amendments to the rules of racing.
Board members include some of the most qualified legal and racing figures in Australia, led by Chairperson Jack Forrest, who previously held the position of principal judge of the common-law division of the Supreme Court.
The Chairperson will be supported by three Deputy Chairpersons – barrister and former Family Court judge Peter Young QC, former Racing Victoria head of integrity Dayle Brown and magistrate Jacqueline Billings.
There are five general members of the board: Brian Gurry, Hayden Opie, Kate Savage, Amelia Lynch and John Barrett.
The Andrews Labor Government is working to ensure Victoria remains the pre-eminent racing state in Australia, with the Victorian Budget 2019/20 including a $72 million boost for local racing infrastructure and events and a $40 million contribution to increase prizemoney for participants across the codes.
The Victorian racing industry contributes $4.3 billion to the economy each year and sustains more than 33,000 equivalent full-time jobs across the state.
Mr Pakula said, “We are committed to upholding the strongest level of integrity in thoroughbred, greyhound and harness racing and the Victorian Racing Integrity Board will be at the forefront of this work.”
“The board features some of the most experienced legal minds in Australia and all members share a passion for racing and a desire to see integrity maintained across the three codes.”