Newcastle club tables case to Racing NSW for stables plan funding

NJC chief executive Duane Dowell, chairman Brian Judd and vice-chair David Irwin travelled to Sydney to meet with Racing NSW boss Peter V'landys on Monday.

The contingent presented design options for funding consideration. The move came at V'landys' request after Dowell and Judd met with him in February to discuss the club's inability to find a way forward for the project, which was first floated in 2017.

The original concept of a double-storey complex, modified to 480-boxes, gained development application approval from the NSW Department of Planning as a state significant project in late 2022. The ability to build in two stages was part of the approval.

However, the NJC and Racing NSW have been unable to secure government funding for the plan, which has almost doubled in estimated costs to well beyond $50 million.

The club sold Cessnock Racecourse to Racing NSW then built new raceday stalls at Newcastle as part of its plan to replace their outdated on-course stables. The proposed new stables would be built on the site of the old raceday stalls at the Chatham Street end of the Newcastle Racecourse.

The NJC revealed last year it was lowering its sights to cheaper, single-storey designs to progress the project. The club hopes to get backing for at least a first stage of 200 boxes in order to free up a section of the existing stables at the Beaumont Street end. That land can then be developed to help fund a second stage. A single-storey design, though, will mean less boxes on the site.

"We knew the 480-option had become quite cost prohibitive in its current form and while we haven't completely pushed that to one side, we've got to explore more realistic options that are going to bring stables more likely in the next couple of years to replace the ones on Beaumont Street," Dowell said.

"Pretty much everyone we got advice from for our original DA were consulted again.

"We had town planning and architectural advice, a lot of work went into another funding submission into Racing NSW, lots of feasibility undertaken over the last few months, so hopefully we get a good result from it and we start moving forward with new stables."

He said the new submission consisted several options with no preferences.

"I think you have to provide flexibility as well because Racing NSW have got a lot of expertise and they are building stables in other areas so they understand what's working and what may be less effective," he said.

"There was the existing design on two stages, then there was a modified, downsized option of single storey as well.

"We went through the options and what it might look like and then obviously Peter would consult the board and make a determination and come back with what they think might be a way forward.

"As we've said to trainers, the chess pieces might move around a bit and there might still be some left in the older area. There's a whole number of options on what might be the best fit. There might be a single stage to start with, with room for growth. There are low numbers and high demand for stables across the state, but our focus is to replace the older ones to start with. That's our main goal."