The Andrews Labor Government is upgrading Kilmore’s popular racecourse to ensure the club has sustainable state-of-the-art facilities.
Minister for Racing Anthony Carbines today visited the Kilmore Racing Club to announce funding from the Labor Government’s Victorian Racing Industry Fund (VRIF), matching the club’s $450,000 investment to support Kilmore’s Water Sustainability Project.
In addition, the VRIF has invested more than $2.2 million towards the Kilmore barn and tie up stalls project.
The project will see a large barn constructed with 114 tie up stalls inside. The barn will feature urinals, wash bays and a veterinary area, and nine-metre-wide internal pathways to enable two sulkies to safely pass side by side.
The Water Sustainability Project will provide Kilmore Racing Club with recycled irrigation water to maintain its facilities, ensuring an ongoing water supply is available for maintenance of the track in times of low rainfall.
The project will deliver a grey-water pipeline stretching over three kilometres, transferring recycled raw water from the Goulburn Water Waste Management Facility to the racecourse, where it will be stored in the new, upgraded dam and used for irrigation.
The funding builds on the $1 million previously provided as part of the Integrated Water Management Scheme, bringing the total investment to almost $3 million.
The upgrades are expected to be completed by the end of 2023 and will enable the club to use grey water to keep the track maintained and at a high-quality standard required for racing and training.
Minister for Racing Anthony Carbines said “the racing industry plays a vital role in the state’s economy and our investment helps ensure that racing in Kilmore has a bright future”.
The Kilmore Racing Club holds 44 race meetings and 32 trial meetings annually and provides a venue for approximately 35 trainers and 105 horses to train regularly.
Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said “Kilmore was one of the busiest racing clubs in regional Victoria and has been an integral part of the local community for more than 160 years, and this upgrade will help it have a long and prosperous future”.
Since 2014 the Labor Government has provided more than $3.7 million through the VRIF to support 17 thoroughbred and harness infrastructure projects and four events at the Kilmore racecourse.
Kilmore Racing Club chair Ian Wood said the club “welcomes this investment and upgrades to ensure the sustainability of our track now and into the future.”
