Not sure why this has not made it onto here yet but the promised audit into Victorian harness racing was released last Friday.
http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/home/j...acing+victoria
I'm a little surprised no one has bought it up too Kyle. Maybe it's because the recommendations in it are what everyone's been saying for some time and we're all sick of beating our heads against the wall waiting for it happen!Originally Posted by Amlin
Things only make it on here if some Tom, Dick or Harry post them. I missed it but have now found the very brief article in Harnesslink News
http://www.harnesslink.com/Australia...acing-Victoria
Which does not mention what the 18 recommendations are or provide the link you have Kyle
Often if a lead story is not one of the 3 featured News Headlines on the Vic page of harness.org where I usually head for Fields and Results, I can forget to go to the News Room tab for Lead Stories
- strangely I have kept seeing the one about the Integrity Tour every day for about a month but not once did I see the audit report story
and once you go to Lead Stories it has slipped onto the 2nd page even though Cody's brief statement (link above) is dated before the last story on the first page
You can also find Cody's statement by going to the News Room at hrv.org but I never go there as I use harness.org
I reckon you have done dam well to know about it Kyle and to have provided that link to the actual report - where did you dig that out from?
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Other social media were onto it pretty quick as soon as it surfaced on Friday. I had forgotten about it until I found the link Friday.
The report confirmed what we were all thinking. Let hope something gets done quickly ! I am hoping that the current board is sacked and replaced with people that know something about the sport and how to run a business . They will need to be much more open and willing to listen that the current board.
Don't die wondering !
I plan to read it today Rick but I am wondering whether the board of HRV is not like our local shire council in that you think the Councillors are in charge but it is really the CEO calling all the shots - I should reserve judgement until I read it
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Wow. This is some Report
I know that most of our forum members are a lot busier than this lazy arse member so I am going to post highlights of the report on here each day for those of you that cannot find the time to read the document in its entirety.
I will get straight to the point by starting with the 18 Recommendations
RECOMMENDATIONS
Governance, Board expertise and skills
1. That the Racing Act 1958 (the Act) be amended to provide for the appointment of a skills-based board in line with modern governance practice. Following the amendment of the Act, it may be appropriate to reconstitute the Board with current members encouraged to apply.
2. That an Appointments Panel (AP) be established to assist the Minister to identify appropriate candidates for appointment to the Board.
3. Members of the Board and senior executives be required complete the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Company Directors course, or a similarly approved course, which focuses on high standards for directors and corporate governance.
4. The government give consideration to undertake a review of the remuneration levels for board members of racing statutory bodies.
5. That a Harness Racing Advisory Board (HRAB) be established (with membership approved by the Minister and including at least two HRV Board members) to facilitate consultation required under section 44B of the Act.
6. That the Board take action to ensure more effective leadership and communication, to reunite the industry and reinvigorate the racing product.
7. That the Board implement best practice risk management, including a requirement for the Audit Committee to meet with the Board at least once a year.
8. That the Board revise the its draft Harness Racing 2020 Strategic Plan to ensure that it includes, at a minimum
• a clear vision for harness racing
• clear accountabilities for the delivery of initiatives
• risk management and mitigation strategies
• timelines for implementation
• quarterly reports to the Board on implementation of deliverables, against identified performance measures
• the development of a communications strategy to effectively engage with stakeholders
• strategies for growing industry revenue
• strategies to attract new and young people to the industry.
Integrity services
9. That the government consider the removal of integrity as a function of HRV and the establishment of a separate integrity body for Victorian harness racing.
10. That the government consider providing funding from the Victorian Racing Industry Fund (VRIF) to significantly strengthen integrity capabilities.
Debts and liabilities
11. That the government work with HRV to identify strategies to speed up HRV’s debt retirement plans, including consideration of accessing unused HRV VRIF funding, the sale of surplus land at Melton and improvements to the HRV operating model.
12. HRV must, as a matter of priority, communicate to its key stakeholders its intentions regarding its debt management strategy, including timelines and consequential financial implications for the industry.
Income streams
13. That HRV:
• work collaboratively with all wagering service providers, in addition to Tabcorp, to grow wagering income from all sources
• adopt the recommendations of the Ford Sponsorship report to grow sponsorship income
• initiate discussions with the free to air networks for coverage of the Summer of Glory feature races
• develop strategies to improve returns from HRV racing product, both nationally and internationally.
Infrastructure
14. That HRV develop a ten-year strategic infrastructure and racing plan that:
• identifies the number of tracks required to sustain the annual racing program and capitalise on emerging wagering markets
• considers increasing the number of metropolitan meeting venues (e.g. Cranbourne)
• identifies patron facility upgrades that need to be undertaken at Melton (e.g. a roof over the grandstand seating, tiered dining facilities and a parade ring closer to the stand) and at other major racing venues
• ensures that owners are appropriately recognised and catered for
• examines the establishment of training and stabling facilities at racetracks such as Melton, Shepparton, Ballarat and Bendigo to reduce the barriers to entry by new participants.
Administrative duplication
15. That HRV reconsider its continued ownership of Racing Information Services Enterprise (RISE).
16. That HRV, as a matter of priority, continue its roll out of its financial shared service model and extend the shared service model to include:
• occupational health and safety
• compliance
• risk management
• marketing of racing.
Other issues arising from the audit
17. That HRV consider, in the development of plans to establish horse training facilities on harness tracks, making provision for the establishment of an education Centre for Excellence for industry participants and employees.
18. That government consider providing funding support for this important industry initiative.
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
This is how Dale Monteith summarized his recommendations
In summary, they address the need for:
• the appointment of a skills-based board and the establishment of an Appointments Panel to ensure that the best possible candidates are identified
• the establishment of a Harness Racing Advisory Body (HRAB), that includes representatives from the Board, to improve consultation and industry engagement
• stronger leadership from the HRV Chair, Board and Chief Executive Officer that includes a commitment to inclusion, transparency and engendering trust within the industry
• improved governance processes and practices, particularly in the areas of risk management, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement
• an increased focus on integrity
• the development of an infrastructure plan to ensure the industry is well positioned to respond to future wagering growth opportunities
• the development of diverse revenue streams that will be crucial to the medium to long term viability of the industry.
and this is a quote from the first page
Flat or reduced income from wagering over the past five years has been a major issue for HRV and I am not sure that this will change substantially in the future unless the industry, not only in Victoria but nationally, reinvents its core racing product to make it more attractive to the wagering customer. This must necessarily involve seriously questioning many of the traditions and practices that currently prevail, which may be limiting wagering outcomes.
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
More from the opening summary:
However, it is clear that participants believe that the industry is ‘fractured and polarised’ and that this is the result of an absence of leadership.
A strong HRV Chair, Board and executive is essential to reunite the industry, rebuild trust and establish a collaborative approach with consistent and inclusive processes to ensure buy-in to planned strategies from key stakeholders and participant groups.
The current Board does not have the expertise or specialist skills it needs in a broad range of areas such as legal, marketing, media (including new media) and technology to enable HRV to robustly test the advice it receives from within the organisation.
Greg Sugars was a Champion harness racing person
Out of curiosity - there has been a distinct lack of reporting on the release of the audit by the dailies. The one I read was all over it like a cheap suit when they announced previously that there would be an audit - yet a week later and they have not run a line on it or offered the board an opportunity to respond.
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