Will Bulli Showground get a makeover and become the hub of greyhound racing in the Illawarra? Photo: Wollongong City Council.
The future of Bulli Showground remains a mystery amid upheaval in the greyhound racing industry.
Earlier this year Wollongong Councillor Richard Martin said any potential upgrades to the showground were on hold until Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW), as the main user of the site, decided whether it would continue to operate in Bulli or consolidate in Dapto.
The ongoing discussion around the Bulli bypass has also caused delays in meaningful action at the site.
GRNSW has since shut down its Dapto racetrack and sold the land at Horsley that was earmarked to be developed into a new track.
“We have recently assessed the land on Bong Bong Road and it is, unfortunately, not possible to build a two-turn, or straight track on the site,” a spokesperson for GRNSW said.
“The restrictions on the site prevent GRNSW from developing the land for racing.
“We are naturally disappointed that the site is unable to be developed.”
A week later, however, the organisation announced it would reduce the number of tracks it operated across the state to 15 – and possibly 12.
Included in that reduction is the permanent closure of any track at Dapto, alongside all non-TAB tracks in NSW by the end of 2025.
TAB clubs at Broken Hill, Maitland and Wagga Wagga will close by mid 2026.
A further three tracks may close in future, however GRNSW has not identified which tracks may be in the firing line for the third round of closures.
In the meantime Wollongong City Council’s website still says the council anticipates “all greyhound activities currently held at Bulli Showground will transfer operations to the new Dapto facility”.
The council has not responded to repeated requests for comment about the future of Bulli Showground now it will be the sole home of greyhound racing in the Illawarra, with no guarantees that racing will continue beyond 2026.
Illawarra Folk Festival organisers voiced concerns for the future of the festival, held at Bulli showgrounds, after the council adopted the Draft Bulli Showground Masterplan in 2023.
The master plan would include much-needed upgrades for the site, such as a stage, floodlights, an undercover area and consolidated car parking, but may put the cost of hiring the venue out of reach for community groups that already utilise the space.
This week it was announced the Kiama Folk Festival would not go ahead due to site-related issues.
There have also been calls for greyhound racing to be scrapped completely in the wake of two track deaths at Bulli earlier this year.
