DISTRICT horse trainers are champing at the bit to return to Levys Beach, but there is no return date in sight.
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Warrnambool Racing Club chief executive officer Peter Downs said a large number of the city's 56 registered horses trainers were keen to get back on Levys Beach.
"It's one of our bigger priorities," Mr Downs said.
Warrnambool mayor Tony Herbert said it was also keen to get horses back on beaches due to the economic benefits to the region.
"We are working through the agreements at the moment," Cr Herbert said.
"The council decided to support the Warrnambool Racing Club with their application, their desire to use this area.
"We may prefer that horses are not on that area but we are trying to balance the economic benefits to the city with our environment. A lot of people say we haven't got that balance but we believe in our hearts we have achieved some level of balance."
In February, Cr Mike Neoh explained that with the support of the land manager of Levys, which is Warrnambool City Council, the racing club would now need to seek support from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) for horses to be allowed back on the beach.
A Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning spokesman this week said the authority was working with the Warrnambool Racing Club to finalise an Environmental Monitoring Plan to ensure appropriate environmental protection and monitoring was in place.
"Once the Environmental Monitoring Plan is finalised it is anticipated that access to the defined area of the Belfast Coastal Reserve (Levy's Beach) will be granted under the Marine and Coastal Act 2018 and land managers (Warrnambool City Council) will be able to grant licences to use the beach for horse training," he said.
After extensive consultation with the community on the Belfast Coastal Reserve Management Plan, with more than 400 written submissions, 400 online surveys and 250 quick poll surveys completed, the Minister for Planning introduced Amendment C200 to the Warrnambool Planning Scheme.
This amendment allows racehorse training to occur on Levys Beach.
However, this approval expires in November 2019 at which time racehorse access is then expected to be relocated to Spooky's Beach.
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