Functions & Powers

A principal club shall have the control and general supervision of the race clubs specified under section 42(2)(d) and, to the extent necessary to give effect to this Act, its functions are –

(a) to control, supervise, regulate and promote horse-racing; and

(b) to initiate, develop and implement such policies as it considers conducive to the development and welfare of the horse-racing industry and the protection of the public interest, in the locality in respect of which it has jurisdiction.

1.

Subject to this Act, a principal club has power to do all things that are necessary or convenient to be done for or in connection with or incidental to the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers.

2.

Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), a principal club may, for the purpose of exercising its powers and performing its functions, including powers and functions conferred on it elsewhere in this Act –

(a) make, amend or repeal the Rules of Racing that are the local rules of racing of that club;

(b) allocate to race clubs registered by it the dates and times on and at which they may hold race meetings;

(c) investigate and report on proposals for the construction of new racecourses or for the alteration or renovation of existing racecourses;

(d) make recommendations to the Commission relating to the licensing of racecourses or to racecourses generally;

(e) in relation to itself and the race clubs in the locality in respect of which it has jurisdiction, register or license or refuse to register or license, or cancel or suspend the registration or licence, of a race club or an owner, trainer, jockey, bookmaker, key employee or other person associated with racing, or disqualify or suspend any of those persons permanently or for a specified period;

(f) supervise the activities of race clubs registered by it, persons licensed by it and all other persons engaged in or associated with racing in its locality;

(g) direct and supervise the lawful dissolution of a race club in its locality that ceases to be registered;

(h) subject to the approval of the Minister, appoint an administrator to conduct the affairs of a race club registered by it;

(j) register and identify galloping horses;

(k) exclude from participating in a race a horse not registered under the Rules of Racing;

(m) prohibit a person from attending at or taking part in a race meeting conducted by it or a race club registered by it;

(n) impose a penalty on a person licensed by it or an owner of a horse for breaches of the Rules of Racing;

(p) impose fees for registration of a race club, person or horse in its locality; (q) require race clubs registered by it to pay to it such charges as are, in the opinion of the principal club, required for providing services to registered clubs;

(r) consult, join, affiliate and maintain liaison with other associations or bodies, whether in the Territory or elsewhere, concerned with the breeding or racing of horses;

(s) enter into contracts;

(t) acquire, hold, take on lease and dispose of real and personal property whether in its own right or as trustee; (u) employ such persons as it thinks fit for the effective performance of its functions and duties;

(w) borrow money;

(y) give such directions to a race club registered by it in relation to the club's racecourse and its affairs as it thinks fit for the advancement of racing whether in the Territory as a whole or in the locality of that racecourse;

(z) where it thinks fit, order that an audit of the books of accounts of a race club registered by it be conducted by an auditor nominated by the principal club;

(za) scrutinize the constitutions of race clubs registered by it to ensure that they conform with this Act and the Rules of Racing and that they clearly express the needs and desires of the clubs concerned and of racing generally;

(zb) publish material, including a periodical publication, to inform and keep informed the public concerning matters pertaining to racing whether in the Territory or elsewhere;

(zc) when so directed by the Commission, or as it thinks fit, furnish to the Commission a report and recommendation on any matter relating to horse-racing; and

(zd) undertake research and investigations into all aspects of the breeding of horses and of horse-racing generally.

3.

The Rules of Racing shall, to the extent necessary to give effect to this section, be read subject to this section.