Former Brisbane Racing Club Chairman Kevin Dixon has been appointed Chairman of Racing Queensland Limited following the resignation of former chief Bob Bentley.
Bentley resigned from his role at Racing Queensland Limited following the landslide win by the LNP at the recent Queensland State Election after a long and controversial term at the helm.
Dixon was the leading force behind the amalgamation of Brisbane’s two Metropolitan race clubs, The Queensland Turf Club and the Brisbane Turf Club and it was suggested for a long time that he would be the right man to take over RQL once Bentley decide to move on.
The prominent horse racing administrator and race horse owner is keen to start the process of restructuring RQL back to a workable and fair organisation under the new Government.
“The Government has committed to devolve the current All Codes Racing Board into three separate control boards, one for each code, and oversee the establishment of an All Codes Industry Board to advise on matters of strategic importance impacting on the entire racing sector such as television rights,” Dixon said.
Other new appointees to the board are Warwick Stansfield, Greg Hallam and John Falvey, replacing Tony Hanmer and Bill Ludwig who followed Bentley’s lead with their resignations.
These new members will join incumbents Wayne Milner and Brad Ryan, making up the six-man board of directors.
Dixon sees a bright future for the Queensland Racing Industry and sees himself as an integral part of its reshaping.
“I’ve always said I’d assist the LNP in whatever way I could,” Dixon said.
“I’m excited to be involved to implement the LNP policy to revitalise racing right throughout the State.”
“And I am excited to be offered a role helping to reshape our great industry under the plans being implemented by the LNP Government.”
Stansfield has had a successful association with Harness racing and was chairman of the Albion Park Harness Racing Club since 2008 and during that time successfully staged the 2009 Inter Dominion Series.
Hallam is the chief executive of the Queensland Local Government Association who has first hand experience with the racing industry through his ownership of many racehorses including a share in 2006 Stradbroke Handicap winner La Montagna.
And Falvey comes to the board with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the Greyhound industry having trained, bred and raced greyhounds as well as standardbred horses.
He is also the former president of the United Queensland Greyhound Association as well as having twenty-five years of corporate experience which included senior executive positions for Stockland, Westfield, QIC and AMP.
Bentley has also been replaced as Chairman of the Australian Racing Board by Racing Victoria Chairman Michael Duffy.
Duffy, who is the chairman of the ARB’s integrity and welfare sub-committee has been a director on the board since 2007.
