Emergency support package for racing industry announced - Photo / File
Racing Minister Winston Peters has announced a $72.5mil COVID-19 emergency support package for the racing industry.
The support package consists of:
- $50mil relief grant for the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA)
- Up to $20mil in funding to construct two new All Weather race tracks
- $2.5mil for the Department of Internal Affairs to fast track work on the online gambling revenue, and address loss of revenue impacts on community and sports groups.
Peters believed that the industry could be saved.
He expressed that the government were going to try and ‘make racing great again’.
Peters added that if New Zealanders were going to gamble, that New Zealanders should benefit from it.
This included implementing measures to reduce the harm that gambling causes.