FIVE months after using his casting vote to prohibit racehorse training on Killarney Beach, Moyne Shire mayor Jim Doukas will put forward a motion at next week’s council meeting allowing the practice.
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Cr Doukas used his casting vote in April to keep Killarney Beach horse-free, siding with councillors Colin Ryan and Jordan Lockett.
At that time, Cr Doukas indicated he supported racehorses using the beach, but wouldn’t support a foreshadowed proposal backed by councillors Daniel Meade, Ian Smith and Mick Wolfe because he felt there hadn’t been “proper consultation”.
Cr Doukas refused to comment on his new motion yesterday, instead saying he would save his comments for Tuesday’s council meeting.
The differences between Cr Doukas’ motion and the proposal he rejected in April include the length of time horses would be allowed to access the beach.
Cr Doukas would like the beach open to trainers from February 1 to December 15, excluding the Easter and Folkie long weekends, from dawn to 10am daily.
April’s foreshadowed but unvoted-on motion limited racehorse training to April 1-November 30, excluding the Easter long weekend, from 7am to 10am.
Cr Doukas would charge only $100 for a permit (compared to the previously suggested $5000), with permits only granted to South West Owners, Trainers and Riders Association (SWOTRA) members and “a preference to trainers based in Moyne Shire”.
The motion does not mention a cap on the number of permits that will be issued, nor does it mention a cap on the number of horses that would be allowed to use the beach each day.
However it does specify that each trainer is only allowed to train two horses at the beach per day, with up to six horses allowed on the sand plus up to four horses in the water at any one time.
This is an increase on the April proposal, which allowed a maximum of four horses on the sand or in the water at any one time, with a daily cap of 16 horses.
Tuesday’s meeting is in Mortlake at 4.30pm.