Melbourne Cup 2022: Lane Cove councillor in push to scrap screening events

One Sydney councillor is calling for a ban on the Melbourne Cup being screened in public venues, due to gambling and animal cruelty concerns. Have your say.

Melbourne Cup events would be banned from being publicly screened in a north shore council area under a push by a local councillor.

Lane Cove Council will this week consider outlawing the screening of the race that stops the nation on public land due to concerns over harmful gambling and ‘animal cruelty’.

The council has traditionally screened the Melbourne Cup in the Lane Cove Plaza as well as promoting the event on social media.

Greens councillor Rochelle Flood – who is proposing the ban – believes the event “promotes and fuels animal cruelty and suffering” and sends the wrong message to the community.

She said the event also has links with alcohol related harm and domestic violence – citing figures from 1800 Respect which has previously recorded a 17 per cent increase in demand for its services on Cup Day.

Councillor Rochelle Flood has called for the screening of the event to be scrapped.

A photo of crowds watching the Melbourne Cup on the big screen at Lane Cove Plaza.

“It’s something I’ve felt strongly about for a number of years,” she said.

“Horses are put under incredible strain during races and many suffer from catastrophic front limb injuries, while others endure cardiac arrest or bleeding into the lungs. It is an incredibly cruel sport, where sentient animals suffer and die in the name of gambling profits.

“Australia also has a serious problem with gambling and the promotion of the cup across numerous platforms is arguably helping to normalise gambling.

“The public view has started to shift over recent years and it’s made it clearer to me that council in screening and promoting it is not in line with that shift in consciousness.

Not everyone is on board the proposed ban with shop owners at some businesses including Two Brothers Cafe calling for the event to continue.

Riverview resident Max Hitchins – who is known as ‘Mr Melbourne Cup’ for predicting 27 cup winners in the past 33 years – said he was opposed to the ban.

Max Hitchins – known as ‘Mr Melbourne Cup – is opposed to the ban.,

A photo of a previous public screening of the Melbourne Cup at Lane Cove Plaza.

“We’ve seen in parts of Australia horrific treatment of horse races, but to attack the entire racing industry like that and deprive people of something that’s been going since 1861 is ridiculous,” he said.

“Horses in the cup are treated better than you and I and to have a small contingent of people saying you can’t have this in Lane Cove is horribly off the mark in my view.”

Liberal councillor Scott Bennison said he would vote against the proposal.

“It’s just a typical thing you can get from the Greens that doesn’t resolve roads, rates or rubbish,” he said.

“The event supports a lot of small businesses with food and catering and if it’s cancelled, they’re the ones that will be impacted.”

Cr Flood said the council could investigate other events or activities to be held on Cup Day she believed would better “align with community and family values, and help drive business and trade”.

“This isn’t about telling people they can’t watch the cup, but saying is the Melbourne Cup something we as a council can endorse to the point of screening it on council property?” she said.

“We could look at running other events such as evening stalls. There are other opportunities.”

The council will vote on the proposal on Tuesday.

The Australian Turf Club declined to comment.