Caption: The GBGC announcement means the curtain will fall on racing at Albion Park (Photo: Box 1 Photography)
By Brisbane Greyhound Club CEO LUKE GATEHOUSE
The recent Queensland State Government announcement that the Greater Brisbane Greyhound Greyhound Centre (GBGC) had been given the go-ahead is the biggest thing to happen in the history of greyhound racing in Queensland.
That may appear to be a bold statement … but I believe in it, 100 per cent.
One of the great things about greyhound racing is that it is immersed in legend and folklore – stories of great deeds by amazing greyhounds, the barrow-loads of cash that were won, and lost, bizarre training methods that turned also-rans into champions, and so on and so on.
Few other sports or pastimes seem to have anywhere near the same amount of incredible stories wrapped around their DNA.
Of course, many of these tales are factual, but many don’t quite stand tall under the test of tough scrutiny. However, they still don’t lose their lustre in their telling.
This is just part of what greyhound racing is.
But, the GBGC does not fall under this category. I have no doubt about what role it will play in the future of our industry. Nothing else has been as important.
You see, it is more than three tracks and some buildings. It is the future. And it is a solid, safe, professional, cutting edge future.
It is the culmination of a long process of planning. No stone has been left unturned. It has evolved through the long vision of what not only is, but will be, best practice.
And, just as importantly, the process to date has been the result of a co-operative endeavour of the key organisations that make up greyhound racing in this state.
As the full plans for the GBGC unfold, I have no doubt everyone involved will be impressed.
When this happens people will see that this is much more than a race precinct. It is even much more than a greyhound precinct, it is a whole-of-community precinct.
Yes, there are the racing areas that will be industry leading, but there will also be the greyhound training area including sprint lanes, puppy education areas and a slipping track.
The GBGC will also embrace the general public with walking tracks and playgrounds apart from the greyhound arenas, but within the area.
And much, much more.
Almost everyone I talk to is excited and enthusiastic about the GBGC, and of course you will always have a couple of doubters. Nothing wrong with that. A bit of healthy skepticism is always good.
However, please, whether your views are ‘for’ or ‘against’, try to base those views on facts. Yes, the facts on the GBGC have been few so far, only because it has been an evolving model.
But those facts will be coming through thick and fast. The group behind the project – made up partly of entities from Racing Qld and the Brisbane and Ipswich clubs – have done a great job.
This project deserves the support of the entire greyhound industry, because it has the best interests of our industry at its heart.
So, now is not the time for legend and folklore. Now is the time for facts and reality.
The GBGC can mirror who we are as an industry going forward – caring, inclusive, professional, state-of-the-art, compassionate.
The greyhound industry is resilient. We have had to show this so many times. Just like legend and folklore, it us part of our DNA.
In recent years another part of our DNA is emerging. Contrary to some beliefs, we are quite a flexible, nimble, quick-thinking industry, who, when required, will move as one.
Now that the GBGC has been conceived, that latest strand of our DNA is required to bring it to its full reality.
That WILL truly be legendary.