The Victorian Parliament yesterday passed legislation to transition Harness Racing Victoria from a statutory authority to a public company limited by guarantee.
The Bill, which will now be presented to the Governor of Victoria for Royal Assent, will move HRV and Greyhound Racing Victoria out of the public sector, with the Minister for Racing, Anthony Carbines, to certify the transition by 1 July 2028.
HRV CEO Matt Isaacs said HRV would work with the government to appropriately transition to the new entity.
“For participants and fans of harness racing, there will be no immediate change, but we will use the opportunity to strengthen HRV’s long-term sustainability, including by supporting faster decision making, better asset utilisation, and greater regulatory and commercial flexibility.”
The legislation also incorporates the Office of the Racing Integrity Commissioner into the new Racing Integrity Commission Victoria, which also takes on the functions of the Victorian Racing Integrity Board.
Mr Carbines said that change would create a simpler and more efficient integrity framework while reducing duplication.
“The racing industry is one of the biggest economic drivers in Victoria and we want to make sure our integrity framework keeps pace with a modern racing industry,” Mr Carbines said.
“These reforms will strengthen racing integrity, reduce duplication and make sure our regulatory framework is working as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
