THE short term future of greyhound racing in the city is in doubt, after Kennerson Park was severely damaged in last week's floods.
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The track looked as if it had been hit by a cyclone, with numerous concrete slabs snapped in two, a massive water tank moving 20 metres, fencing bent and twisted, and electrically-operated dog boxes left unusable.
Track manager Jason Lyne was left heartbroken when he saw the damage first hand on Tuesday.
"We went in there on Tuesday morning once the roads reopened and I could not believe my eyes. I couldn't believe I was looking at what I was," he said.
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"People have been messaging me that have been third or fourth generation people that have been involved in the track.
"It is their life, whether they're full time in the sport or retired and still have an interested in the sport. Even the locals that come out here everything week, it's their get away for the week.
"It's a massive part of people's life."
It's not been an easy time for the Bathurst Greyhound Racing Club, as Kennerson Park was already closed because of minor flooding earlier this month.
Prior to the most recent flooding, workers were meant to be onsite on Tuesday, November 15, to fix flooding damage from earlier this month, with the club hopeful of resuming racing the following Monday.
Mr Lyne said it's too early to assume what will happen to the track in the future but he said "all options are on the table".
The damage is extensive, there's nothing on the track that hasn't been compromised by water.
"The under-footing of the track, the concrete has been washed away at parts," he said.
"The track is gone. Our concrete water tank out the back has moved 20 foot and it was full water. It was probably a 750,000 litre tank.
"The motor for the lure tested okay. We think that's probably the only thing that hasn't been affected. We put in a new lure about six months ago and it's raised off the ground, but besides that, everything has been compromised by water."
Mr Lyne said he's received overwhelming support from Greyhound Racing NSW, but admitted they can only do so much.
"They can only help so much. Once we do an assessment and cost analysis with everything that needs to be done, then we can be from there," he said.
"Greyhound Racing NSW has been really supportive, as they always are.
"I just really feel for my staff. I have a really small team but a very dedicated team. I think we're all feeling it."
The rest of the Bathurst meetings scheduled for 2022 will be transferred to either Dubbo or Gunnedah.
Mr Lyne was with the club when the last major flood occurred in 1998, but said the damage wasn't as bad back then because the track was a grass surface and all the boxes were manually rather than electrically operated.
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