The Northam Race Club, with the support of Racing and Wagering Western Australia, has implemented a financial strategy to ensure the continuation of racing at Northam for the 2010/11 season.

 The Northam Race Club is under severe financial pressure due to the escalating cost of irrigating the grass track.  A reduction in ground water supply and an unseasonaly dry summer has meant that the Race Club has spent almost $350,000 irrigating the track to ensure a satisfactory surface was prepared for racing in 2010.  This cost has threatened to close the Avon Valley’s primary racecourse with the Club exhausting all of its accumulated funds on water.

 The financial strategy implemented will see a reduction in stake money for the 2010/2011 race season, commencing 1 August 2010.  Stake levels will be reduced by $1,000 across all race types, resulting in maidens at $9,000 per race, rtg 54-64 $10,000 and rtg 57-68 $11,000.  There is no planned reduction to feature stake levels.  

The Northam Race Club is assisting the Avon Community Development Foundation, Member for the Agricultural Region Hon. Max Trenorden MLC, Shire of Northam and Racing and Wagering Western Australia to pursue the supply of grey water to the racecourse to enable a reliable and affordable supply of water for the future.  The project is currently in initial planning stages with the report expected to be finalised in September 2010.  Following the report the Avon Community Development Foundation will facilitate an application for government funding to build a dam and supporting infrastructure to see the delivery of the water. The dam and infrastructure will be a community project designed to accommodate future community needs.