CONSTRUCTION to extend the Swan Hill racecourse was halted last week after the jockey club failed to seek permission for the works.
The Swan Hill Jockey Club started work two weeks ago, with the removal of trees, old fences and to level the ground, however, permission for the work wasn’t granted by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
The government agency shut down works shortly after they commenced.
Meanwhile, the club said the October 30 and November 25 Swan Hill meetings would now be moved to Stawell and Ararat respectively as a result of construction.
With the racecourse located predominantly on Crown land, owned by the state government, DELWP planning approvals program officer Peter Shadwick said the proper procedures were not followed.
“Any proposed works on Crown land require consent from DELWP as the relevant landowner,” Mr Shadwick said.
“The Swan Hill Jockey Club did not obtain landowner consent before commencing works at the Swan Hill racecourse.
“DELWP requested works to stop until an application for landowner consent had been submitted and assessed by the department.
“This ensures the environmental, cultural and heritage values of the site are considered before works commence and appropriate actions are taken to protect or minimise the impact on them.”
To read more of this story, grab a copy of the October 24 edition of The Guardian.
