Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) has welcomed decisions by Charlton Harness Racing Club and Tabcorp Park Melton to restrict access to their meetings this weekend to essential licenced participants, owners with a horse engaged and staff only due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
HRV CEO Dayle Brown said “both clubs had shown enormous selflessness in reaching a decision that puts industry participant and local community health and wellbeing before all other considerations”.
Earlier today Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that from Monday public gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled following advice from the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer.
Throughout today the HRV executive management team has been in communication with the State Government, Tabcorp Park, the Charlton club and the Victorian Trainers and Drivers Association.
“We will continue consulting regularly with the State Government to ensure we’re across the latest information relating to COVID-19, but HRV is fully supportive of the approach to restrict meetings to licenced participants and essential staff in a bid to protect our people from this pandemic,” Mr Brown said.
“This is an unprecedented situation which is evolving rapidly. We want to take every precaution we can to, firstly, protect our people’s health and wellbeing, and secondly to keep our industry operating.”
HRV will provide an update on Monday morning.
Media enquiries: cwinnell@hrv.org.au