2019-11-20
Australian Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has said the attempted takeover of the Dapto Showground and the Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society by Greyhound Racing NSW in order to force them to race dogs at a financial loss is chilling and the opposite of community and democracy. The matter is currently being heard in the Supreme Court.
Senator Faruqi said:
“The idea a Government appointed body can take over a local community-based agricultural society is simply chilling and another example of the Liberal-National Governments contempt for community.
“The Society has made it very clear it is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars by running greyhound racing at Dapto. By forcing them to continue this loss-making activity for the benefit of a tiny crowd, Greyhound Racing NSW is putting at risk other Dapto icons like the rugby league club and the famous Dapto markets.
“It is pretty clear the Greyhound Racing NSW intends to grind the Dapto Agricultural Society into the ground for choosing to put the community first. That is just disgusting.
“I sincerely hope the Court restores the democratically elected directors to full control of the club so they can get on with the job of providing recreational facilities for the Dapto community,” she concluded.