Martha HAYLETT (Ripon):

Last week I joined the Minister for Racing to celebrate funding for local racing clubs across Ripon.

We visited the Burrumbeet Park & Windermere Racing Club that have been running their annual Burrumbeet Cup on New Year’s Day for more than 150 years.

Three generations of committee members were in attendance, including hardworking club President Jonathon Charles, Manager Jeremy Rogers, thoroughbred trainers and stable staff.

The club is full of incredible local volunteers and has just received $48,000 from the state Labor government to install new shade sails by the track so that racegoers do not melt in that summer heat. Club members told me it will make a huge difference, increasing race day numbers and boosting revenue. Congratulations to the club. These funds are well-deserved, and I cannot wait to see the shade sails in action on Cup Day.

The minister and I also visited the Ballarat Turf Club in Miners Rest along with the member for Wendouree to celebrate the completion of the new inside grass training track, thanks to $1.3 million from our government. Congratulations to superstar CEO Belinda Glass and her team, including Bill Gribble, Nick Stubbs and Gabe Erbes who helped get the project done. It was much-needed, with 650 horses and up to 36 race days at the Ballarat Turf Club each year.

I will always back them in and always support our racing industry across Ripon that contributes so much to our state’s economy.