Administrator appointed to Hawkesbury Race Club as three remaining Board members resign

Hawkesbury Race Club (HRC) has seen its Board member numbers fall this last year as resignations saw only three left, and now this week they have also stepped down and been replaced by an Administrator appointed by Racing NSW.

Photo credit: Bradley Photos

In a statement sent to Club members this week, and now also on the Club’s website, HRC says, “We are saddened to announce as of 5pm on December 23, all Hawkesbury Race Club’s Board of directors have resigned”.

“Hawkesbury Race Club would like to thank the board for their time and contribution to the HRC.”

They thanked the three Board members who were left, for their years of service to the club –the premier track horse racing club outside Sydney – Dr Phillip Chen for 12 years service, Greg Stevens for 18 years service, and Carole Maher for a year’s service.

Acting CEO Lea Porteous will be reporting to the interim administrator and operate the club in caretaker mode. In time a new board will be appointed to HRC – though no timing has been given yet.

Peter V’Landys, CEO of governing body Racing NSW, “would like to advise that HRC has a bright future,” said the HRC statement.

We asked Mr V’Landys for further details and were told by a spokesperson, “At this stage, our CEO does not wish to comment on the HRC appointment of an administrator.”

The Club is a major feature and drawcard of the Hawkesbury.

“We’re more than just horse racing,” says the Club on its website.

“We offer a premier destination for thoroughbred racing, functions, events, weddings, festivals and exhibitions – along with a 4-star motel, with 30 luxuriously appointed rooms on course”.

Back in 2017, the Club got the kind of publicity no organisation wants when they were ordered by The Workers Compensation Commission to pay a former employee more than $120,000 after the tribunal found she had been bullied and harassed by her then boss at the Club.

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