Betting tax rebates - Northam Race Club

29/7/94

The Northam Race Club is set to receive a financial boost with the payment of $49,824 in rebates of on-course betting taxes for the 12 months to June 30, 1994, Racing and Gaming Minister Max Evans said today.

The payment, comprising $21,376 in rebates of on-course bookmakers taxes and $28,448 returned from on-course totalisator taxes, forms part of a $4.5 million return to the racing industry through the Coalition Government's racing tax package.

Other local clubs to benefit are the Northam Trotting Club, which receives $18,418, and the York-Beverley Turf Club, which receives $12,039.

Mr Evans said the bulk of the rebates, of which racing clubs would receive $4.1 million and bookmakers $400,000, would be paid by the end of July to enable clubs to account for payments within the current racing year.

Western Australia's principal clubs, the WA Turf Club, the WA Trotting Association and the WA Greyhound Racing Association, receive the lion's share of the rebates with payments of $2,559,027, $412,780 and $340,588 respectively.

The Minister said the Coalition Government's racing tax relief package has helped the industry recover after facing difficulties in recent years.

Mr Evans said on-course betting for 1993-94, which includes bookmakers and totalisator turnover, is up by 12 per cent on the previous year.

He said the on-course betting tax rebates would bring the total value of the Coalition Government's tax relief package to $10.3 million for the 1993-94 racing year.

"The tax relief package provides clubs with great incentive to improve on-course attendances,"  Mr Evans said.

"I am pleased to see so many have recognised the opportunity to gain this extra reward by attracting more patrons to the course and securing a healthy increase in betting turnover.

"The racing industry in Western Australia is now well-placed to overcome the difficulties experienced over recent years, and to ensure a healthy future for the industry and the thousands of Western Australians involved in it.

"How well it does this lies in its ability to continue to attract people to the courses, as the Government can do no more than provide racing with the opportunity to make progress.

"Capitalising on the opportunity provided by the Coalition Government is the job of the industry itself, and I am delighted to see that so many racing clubs appear to be grasping that opportunity with both hands."

Media contact:  Tony Barker-May 366 0300