The Glen Innes Racecourse will soon be ready to dish up more events for the Glen Innes community with the venue set to undergo a kitchen refurbishment.
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This week Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced that the Glen Innes Jockey Club will receive a $29,366 state government grant to refurbish the kitchen in the community-use area.
Mr Marshall said the current state of the kitchen had reined in Glen Innes Jockey Club's ability to hire facility out to the community.
"Situated on the edge of town, with plenty of space and picturesque grounds, Glen Innes Racecourse should be one of the safest bets when it comes to finding somewhere to host a private function," Mr Marshall said.
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The current state of the 30-year-old outdated kitchen no longer meets modern health standards, which has unfortunately restricted the types of events the venue can be used for.
"This grant will bring the racecourse back into the winners circle by replacing the old wooden bench tops with the required stainless steel and installing a new oven,"Mr Marshall said.
"A section of the kitchen will be repainted and new tiles laid, making the floor safer and easier to clean.
With the extensive renovations to the Jockey Club -- including the kitchen needing to be re-plumbed and re-wired -- Mr Marshall said Glen Innes' tradies will no doubt collect as a result of this project.
The renovations to the club have the potential to increase the odds of the Glen Innes Racecourse becoming one of the town's favourite venues.
"Annually the racecourses hosts around 30 functions a year, but with this upgrade completed it would be fantastic to think it could kick that to at least one a week,"Mr Marshall said.
Glen Innes Jockey Club President Mark Ritchie said the kitchen refurbishment would provide additional income for the upkeep of the racecourse.
"As land managers of the Glen Innes Racecourse, the Glen Innes Jockey Club is immensely appreciative to receive this support from the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund," Mr Ritchie said.
"With a safe and functional kitchen the facility can be hired out for a greater number of community and private functions. This in turn will provide a larger income to assist with maintenance of the grounds.
"It is our expectation work on this project will begin by the end of March and hopefully be completed by November, working in with the racing calendar.
"Glen Innes will be all the richer for having the community function area once again accessible."
