Country racing is in jeopardy
On Saturday, April 1, the Maxwelton Race Club was due to hold its annual race meeting.
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Around mid afternoon Friday March 31 two stewards from Townsville arrived and proceeded to carry out a detailed and comprehensive inspection of the track.
All the previous years the stewards arrived on Saturday morning, slowly drove around the track and said how good it was.
Question: who prompted this detailed inspection of the track that included a full walk of the track together with it also being photographed.
This was done while work on the track was still underway.
At this point the Club was told it was unlikely the races would go ahead.
A further inspection took place Saturday morning at 7am while preparation was still taking place but the stewards called the meeting off.
The preparation of the track this year followed the same procedures as in the past 30 years and the Club had no hesitation in saying the track was good.
The author of this letter has prepared the track for the past 32 years and has never been called to account for a poorly prepared surface.
In the past many of the trainers and jockeys have said this was arguably the best track to race on in the north west.
On Saturday morning a representative of the North West trainers and a jockey came and inspected the track and declared it to be in a good condition.
This sorry saga should be an alarm to all clubs with black soil tracks if stewards are consistent with their track assessments.
It also raises the point that all small bush clubs are under the pump.
Does Queensland Racing want to help maintain country racing or help in its demise?
Perhaps Queensland Racing wants to see racing held in only a few selected venues.
David Carter
Maxwelton Race Club Committee Member
History brought to life
Dear Editor.
We all know that you have a hard road to hoe at the present time.
The newspaper industry is having a real struggle to keep afloat.
For what it is worth I reckon Mount Isa is lucky to have you here at this time.
Your efforts at promoting the region are much appreciated, and the co-operation with Kim Maree Burton in publishing Mount Isa's history has brought the North West Star to life.
So many great memories have been relived by the older members of the community.
It has been better than the Mount Isa reunions.
I for one am looking forward to the next lot of stories about the city's past and the next book.
It was so much better than the last one published.
John Jones
Mount Isa
Facebook Feedback
Our April’s Fool’s story about the North West joining the Northern Territory got a lot of people talking including some who engaged with the issue believing some form of new statehood is necessary
Gary Osman We need our own state in North Queensland to keep money here in north to improve infrastructure as all governments don’t care about north. No votes of course.
Tricia Abdy NT would be better – they have better roads and court systems
Greg Cubit I know what date it is. If there are to be any border changes it should be new border along the Tropic of Capricorn to create the great state of North Queensland!
Gary Lewis As if the Qld Gov would willingly give up one of its biggest cash cows
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
