Wyndham council will build a wall between the quarantine centre at Werribee Racecourse and the Werribee Sports and Fitness Centre to minimise noise stress on foreign horses here for this year’s spring carnival arising from the centre’s redevelopment works.
The first batch of horses from Japan is due to arrive in Werribee on Saturday, with a further 19 European runners to enter the Vintage Crop stables, adjoining the construction site on Ballan Road, on September 27.
Wyndham acting chief executive Nerina Di Lorenzo said the city had worked closely with Racing Victoria to reach a compromise.
“The costs and time delays that would result from the Werribee Sports and Fitness Centre site being fully shut down for the period [were] not practical,” she said.
“While the operations on the site meet construction guidelines, a sound barrier will be created by placing a row of shipping containers on the boundary of the work site, with any costs to be shared equally between Wyndham City and Racing Victoria.”
Racing Victoria spokesman Shaun Kelly said they had been assured the sound barrier would be effective.
“Based on council advice, the noise from the site will be no greater than the passing traffic on Ballan Road,” he said.
