Land sale may end Hawera races

10 June 2006
By GLENN MCLEANThe future of racing in Hawera is in serious doubt with the town's racecourse about to be sold.
Egmont Racing Club president Murray Armstrong yesterday confirmed the Hawera Racecourse partnership was about to put the 43ha property up for tender.
While he would not give specifics of the tender, the Taranaki Daily News understands three separate blocks will be sold.
The partnership comprises the Egmont Racing Club (50 percent share), the Hawera Harness Racing Club (37.5 percent) and the Opunake Racing Club (12.5 percent).
"We are going to put our toe in the water and tender various blocks of land," Mr Armstrong said.
"It might be one or it might be all. Nothing is set in concrete, we are exploring our options."
He would not rule out racing disappearing from the town altogether.

"It could happen, we're not saying it isn't a possibility. We have to consider that option."
Real estate agents spoken to yesterday estimated the land, which has been used as a racecourse since 1882, could sell for between $4 million and $6 million.
Mr Armstrong confirmed a committee had been set up nine months ago, involving Egmont, Taranaki and the Opunake clubs to look into the future of racing in Hawera.
"All financial members of the partnership have been written to and told that is an option – to sell land.
"We have reasonable cash reserves and we could go on racing for many years here.
"But racing is going through such a change, to get the full benefit of returns here to owners and trainers we have to look at options."
The biggest problem facing the Hawera partnership is its governing body, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, is no longer prepared to allocate funding towards facilities there.
Seven meetings each season are held at Hawera. The Egmont Racing Club conducts four, the Hawera Trotting Club has two and the Opunake Racing Club has one date there and another at New Plymouth.
Taranaki Racing Club chief executive Carey Hobbs was reluctant to comment on the issue.
Mr Hobbs admitted that a provincial racing strategy had been discussed for several months, but he would not go into specific details.
Question marks would, however, hang over just how many more meetings could be held at Pukekura Raceway, given the impact each meeting had on the course.
South Taranaki District Mayor Mary Bourke said no official proposal had been put forward to her council about the racecourse, but she was aware of several councillors who were keen for the council to buy some of the land.
"They see it as a strategic land purchase, but there has been no formal discussion of that at this stage."
When the council was investigating possible venues for its proposed multi-purpose stadium, the racecourse was talked about as a site that could be used to centralise equestrian events, or even a development area for a golf course or motor camp.
"We have had a lot of submissions in the long-term plan about setting up an industrial park," she said.
"And if you were looking around, on the face of it, that land looks really good. However, it might not turn out to be that good at all."