The Dapto Dogs will carry on into the foreseeable future with the Supreme Court authorising an administrator appointed by Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) to continue staging meetings.
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Justice Stephen Robb has ordered that administrator Grant Carroll be allowed to conduct greyhound racing at Dapto Showgrounds while the Dapto Agricultural and Horticultural Society (DAHS) board will run all other arms of the organisation.
The two parties have been at loggerheads since the society announced it would close greyhound racing at the showgrounds track, prompting GRNSW to launch legal action.
The state's governing body subsequently appointed Mr Carroll as an administrator to DAHS via their powers under the Greyhound Racing Act.
The matter will return to the Supreme Court next year with the DAHS claiming the appointment of Mr Carroll was invalid.
However in the interim, an uneasy truce has been struck after Justice Robb ordered Mr Carroll run the greyhound races and all other activities of the society which occur on Thursdays.
The society's board and CEO will conduct all other aspects of the business on days other than Thursdays.
"I acknowledge that there remains some risk of confused lines of authority and communication but I will proceed upon the basis that Mr Carroll and the defendants are adults and any real dispute that cannot be resolved by using common sense may be brought back to the court," Justice Robb said.
Both sides claimed the decision as a win on Friday with the DAHS saying in a statement: "The court recognises the key fundamentals of this case: the society isn't just about Dapto Dogs - it's a community facility offering much more.
"The society is well run, at a profit, despite Dapto Dogs events losing $275,596 in the last financial year."
GRNSW CEO Tony Mestrov described it as a vindication for their decision to appoint an administrator.
"We brought this action to court on behalf of the participants of Greyhound Racing NSW and we are pleased the court has given the green light to continue racing at Dapto," Mr Mestrov said.
Justice Robb ruled Mr Carroll will be given access to all the society's books and records while both parties must come to an agreement over who should control the DAHS bank accounts.
Australian Associated Press
