Community & Business
1 June, 2023
New fund to help country race clubs
COUNTRY racing clubs like Mareeba and Tolga can now apply to improve their facilities under a new $3 million funding program established by the State Government.
Racing Minister Grace Grace announced applications were open for the new Country Club Asset Funding Program (CCAF) which is set to replace the Country Racing Program (CRP).
Set to build on the more than 300 projects supported across the state by the CRP since 2018, the CCAF is a $400,000 increase from the last grant round of the former program.
In the Far North Queensland region alone, almost 30 projects were approved under the CRP, ranging from a half million dollar track renovation at the Innisfail Turf Club to an almost $17,000 extension of the jockey and steward’s room at the Gordonvale Turf Club.
A natural progression from the CRP, the CCAF follows the introduc-tion of the Palaszczuk Government’s new funding model for racing, which reinvests 80 per cent of Betting Tax revenue back into industry and guaran-tees higher minimum funding support for country racing.
The grants will help country rac-ing clubs with infrastructure repairs, as well as maintenance and asset replenishment as assessed on a needs basis.
Applications close 5 June 2023.
