Sport
5 March, 2025
Q&A with Racing Minister Tim Mander – 'No plans to close clubs'
The new Racing Minister discusses some of the key issues in the industry, including a new review.
On the day he announced the terms of a major review into the racing industry, Minister for Racing TIM MANDER spoke with North West Weekly editor MATT NICHOLLS about some of the issues facing the country racing circuit in Queensland ...
MN: Minister, you’ve just made a major announcement in Brisbane about a review into racing. Can you summarise what this review is going to entail?
TM: We promised during the election campaign that we would have a comprehensive review. This is a proactive review, not a reactive one, which has really been the reviews of recent history, responding to a singular issue.
This is a chance to look at the whole industry with no predetermined views in mind, but knowing some of the challenges that we have to ensure the long-term sustainability of the three codes of racing. So today was kicking off that review and the kick-off really is a discussion paper that has gone out and is now online in which I’m encouraging people from the sector to participate in over the next month right through to March 30.
We want people from the sector to tell us what they believe the issues are, and whether they have any ideas, and how those issues can be met. We’ve put some themes in, which includes governance, funding models, animal welfare and, of course, the future of country racing.
But we don’t want people to be constrained by (the themes); we want them to say whatever they believe is relevant.
We’ve also announced that the person who will lead the review is Matt McGrath, who is a former chair of the Australian Turf Club in Sydney.
We looked for somebody who was independent of Queensland, but has a good working knowledge of racing and a working knowledge of what happens in Queensland as well.
He’s got an extensive business background and he’ll be assisted by a steering group that will be made up of local experts to help us fine-tune the terms of reference and then Matt and his group will go out and start meeting with people and finding out first-hand what some of those issues are.
Then, in six months, at the end of September, Matt will report back to me and then we’ll consider those recommendations and go to cabinet and work out, if that’s relevant, what needs to happen going forward.
It’s not like the industry is in dire need of massive change, but it’s a chance to go through and look under the hood, if you like, and work out what we can change to make things better.
Some of the issues that I mentioned to you are issues that have been communicated to me in my time as Shadow Minister for the last four years, and since I’ve become Minister, but I’m sure there are other issues as well.
Just on country racing and without pre-empting the review, but what do you see as the biggest challenges for country racing in Queensland?
There are a number of challenges and one of them is that country racing is having the same challenges that lots of industries are in the bush, which is a depopulation of some of the areas, so there are workforce challenges, particularly with jockeys.
There is also the issue of old infrastructure coming face-to-face with modern compliance standards. We’ve all heard the stories about the star pickets, about barriers that obviously are not compliant anymore, that cost a couple of hundred thousand dollars to fix for a race meeting once a year.
I mean, they’re challenges and we’ve got to look at innovative ways of making sure that country racing not only survives, but thrives.
I’m acutely conscious of the role that racing plays in the bush with regards to the social fabric.
I think in 85 towns across Queensland, racing is either the number one or two event that they have during the year and I come from a regionalised party with local members that represent regional areas and I’m reminded constantly – not that I need reminding because I am conscious of it – of how important racing is in the bush.
There’s clearly been some change of leadership with (Racing Queensland CEO) Jason Scott, announcing his resignation and shifting roles, but there is also a concern that Racing Queensland has been filled with ex-Ladbrokes employees and that some of the appointments are just not adequate. I guess this will come out in the review, but there is a concern, Minister, that this review will take six months and that could mean six months of pain for some of these bush clubs.
Look, it is business as usual whilst we go through this transition of leadership. I don’t think it’s smart to make an appointment of the new head of RQ until we get the review done because, in some ways, it will be the blueprint for the next CEO and it’s important that we pick somebody that is capable of doing it and has the appropriate skills.
I hear the concerns that you’ve just raised and I understand them.
I am committed to making sure that we have a CEO that is well-rounded and understands that this is a industry that is statewide.
It’s not simply in the south-east corner, it’s not simply in other metropolitan areas down the coast and a new CEO will have to be very cognizant of that because of the importance of country racing.
The jockey shortage issue has been spoken about for a long time, particularly when you were Shadow Minister but it continues in the bush. One of the potential solutions that’s been brought up – and it’s probably more of a federal issue than a state issue – is the allowance of visas for overseas jockeys, especially from the Asian market, to come to Australia. Is that something that you as Minister could potentially work with the federal government on to potentially open some doors?
Absolutely. I mean, we’ve got to look at all options and skilled migration is one of those and it seems to be an obvious channel to promote and go forward.
You’re right, it’s under federal jurisdiction, but part of my job – if that is what we believe is the best way to go forward – is for me to advocate and lobby for that and put pressure on the federal government, or whatever persuasion it might be, to see the great need for it.
But that seems to be one (solution) that just sort of slams you right between the eyes.
I saw you went to the Goondiwindi races last weekend, which was great to see. The outgoing CEO has said on the record that he does feel like there should be some consolidation of clubs in Queensland. As an LNP minister I’m guessing that some of your colleagues would be very much against that. Are you confident that we won’t see mass closures of clubs in your country Queensland?
Well that’s not my intention, nor my agenda, and someone like Jason is going to have his own opinion, and that’s fine, but that’s not my intention.
I want us to be smart and I want us to be innovative and, at the same time, understand how our regional people love racing so much and the part that it plays in the social fabric of their communities.
I don’t want to pre-empt anything but that’s definitely not part of my agenda.
My last question circles back to this review. What would your message be to the Mount Isa Race Club or the Cloncurry Race Club or even the Gregory Downs Jockey Club about contributing to this review and making submissions?
My advice is for them is to be very proactive in making submissions and suggestions through the discussion paper process and then be ready to talk about the solutions you have in mind when there’s the face-to-face stuff.
This is a great opportunity. My experience with the racing industry is they’re not backwards in coming forwards with their opinion, which is great, and I like working with people like that who are direct.
There’s always a lot of talk that people are going to do something or think about something but here’s our opportunity now to put it on the table and work out right across the board what’s the best way to go forward in a whole range of different categories.
To make a submission or read the terms of the Queensland Racing Review 2025, visit https://www.sport.qld.gov.au/racing/consultation-for-queenslands-2025-racing-review