2020/21 Industry Funding – Harness

Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) will be providing $180 million in distribution, grants and subsidies to the State’s racing industry for the 2020/21 season.

RWWA is focused on delivering initiatives that will maximise returns to the harness racing industry, whilst ensuring its long-term sustainability.

RWWA’s key strategic focus for the code includes enhancing the harness racing product to increase commercial competitiveness, as well as improving relevance and its right to exist within the wider community.

In alignment with these objectives, RWWA has committed a $2.48 million increase in distribution for the harness code within the 2020/21 season, with key initiatives including:

• $1.81 million will be committed to the Westbred incentive scheme:
  –  $300,000 will go towards extending the Westbred bonus to owners of horses who have their first win as a four-year old;
  –  $440,000 towards increasing the First Win Owners and Breeders Bonus to $3,000; and
  –  $330,000 towards the anticipated increase in 3YO Westbred payments for the remainder of the calendar year due to Harness Racing Australia’s decision to extend the 2019/20 racing season.
  –  $740,000 increase to meet the higher frequency of Westbred winners encountered over the last 12 months.
• $570,000 towards key infrastructure projects, identified as being critical to the continuation of harness racing.
• $100,000 towards on-course vision subsidies.

In an effort to grow interest and revenue streams for the WA racing industry, $1 million in funding will also go towards the development of a digital platform to promote the State’s racing product. The platform will provide customers with easy access to all relevant information about WA racing.

To ensure the best levels of care are provided to racehorses during all stages of their lives, RWWA will also provide $1.29 million towards the rollout of RWWA’s WA Racehorse Welfare Plan.

RWWA remains committed to implementing strategic funding initiatives, with a strong emphasis on ownership and participation, commercial competitiveness and animal welfare.

With the impact of COVID-19 during the last season, it is important that we provide you, as a valued participant, with the confidence to continue to invest in the WA racing industry.

RWWA has also committed to conducting a mid-year review in January 2021 for race clubs to ascertain the impact COVID-19 has had on each individual club. Once we receive each club’s annual reports, RWWA will be able to better understand the full impact COVID-19 has had on club finances, and address any required support.

I would once again like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support and understanding through what has been a challenging and uncertain period, as we progressively get back to enjoying racing as we know it in WA.

We are looking forward to delivering on these important initiatives for the harness code as we enter into a new season, and I hope to see you very soon trackside.