Mr Murray called on Racing and Gaming Minister Terry Waldron early this week to ensure today’s Budget included an allocation of funds to reinstate Labor’s $30 million Regional Racecourse Infrastructure Grants program to save country racing.

“The cancellation of Albany’s iconic Anzac Day race meeting due to unsafe track conditions, the first cancellation in 144 years, is the latest example of the Barnett Government’s penny-pinching on regional racecourse funding,” Mr Murray said.

“The Barnett Government is slowly strangling the industry.”

Mr Murray said the Albany race meeting was the second major event to be cancelled because of funding problems.

“Bunbury Turf Club’s races were unexpectedly cancelled in December when Racing and Wagering officials declared the track unsafe,” Murray said.

“This is costing not-for-profit country turf clubs thousands of dollars, it is costing trainers and owners huge amounts and it is putting the regional racing industry in jeopardy.

“It’s unfair for trainers to ready their horses, organise and pay jockeys and transport horses and equipment to race meetings, only to have races cancelled because of insufficient money for track maintenance and refurbishment.

“The racing industry is a huge income generator for the Barnett Government and it deserves some Government funding in return.”

Mr Murray said Labor committed $25 million to regional racecourses in 2005 and had committed another $30 million in 2008.

“The Barnett government seems content to let country racing die a slow death by starving regional racing of funds.

“Labor’s Regional Racecourse Infrastructure Grants program needs to be immediately reinstated.”