Time to suspend disbelief!

Harness Racing Australia (HRA) recently announced that - following "consultations" 1. - they intend to introduce changes to The Australian Trotting Stud Book most notably with respect to "the process of application, approval, and fees associated with Registering (of) Stallions in the Stud Book".  [ Read Notice ]

And, as part of this Advice Notice, we are being told - or led to believe - that maintenance of the Stud Book is costing HRA $2 million per annum, which in turn necessitates the implementation of a Tax on Breeders since they are the ones that benefit directly from the Stud Book.

But here's the thing ... HRA already charges a "Registration of Sires" FEE of $169.00 [as of 1st July 2021] which they 'collect from the State Controlling Bodies'  PLUS  a "Registration of Imported Semen Stallion" FEE which is currently set at $1,162.00 - and these fees have (presumably) been ample to maintain the Stud Book for many years. 

So, one has to question, what has suddenly come to pass that necessitates close to a 300% increase in the "Sire Registration Fee" ... from $169 to $500 ... and, using the popular sire American Ideal as just one example, a 1280% increase on an "Imported Semen Stallion" (per live foal service)?  Yes, you read that correctly A ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED & EIGHTY PERCENT increase, per service, on such a Shuttle Stallion!

This, surely, must be something the likes of the ACCC should be investigating - urgently?

We have gone back into the archives and found that in the year 2000, under the auspices of the Australian Harness Racing Council Inc., 2.  the National Body's 'Fee Receipt' from the Registration of Stallion Fee was a mere $30, and their required payment for an Imported Stallion was $200.

So, in essence, up until the most recently announced changes [ which we vehemently challenge ], these National Fees have increased, on average, by 25% per annum (over 22 years) 3. ... yet now we are being asked to bear increases in the order of 300% to 1280% increase in a single hit -- at a time when data collection and storage costs are at an all-time low! 4.

It is unconscionable especially when HRA has provided absolutely no evidence of their claimed "Stud Book Maintenance" burden - let alone published Annual Financial Accounts, available for detailed scrutiny by all stakeholders.

Additionally, we would like HRA to explain why their recording of the details of a locally domiciled stallion - and its progeny - seemingly costs a fraction of their recording exactly the same information for Shuttle Stallion, let alone that of a Frozen Semen Sire ... which they would have you believe is almost double that again.  

If these proposed changes to the Stud Book truly had anything at all to do with 'maintenance costs', the fee being levied must surely be equal rights across the board. 

HRA, isn't it time to justify your claims, and actions, with concrete figures?  

Where is your justification for artificially creating three discrete classes of stallions?

None of it makes any sense whatsoever, and it is high time that you opened the books for forensic scrutiny. 

FOOTNOTES:

1.  Consult:  seek information or advice from (someone, especially an expert or professional) So who was 'consulted'?

2.  AHRC changed its name to Harness Racing Australia in March 2008