QRIC rejects licence applications for dishonesty

Licence applications have been denied by the QRIC Licencing Unit after dishonesty was detected during the application process.

With the licence renewal process about to start, applicants need to be aware they are required to acknowledge all criminal history in their application. Failure to do so may result in prosecution.

QRIC Commissioner Ross Barnett said the QRIC was dedicated to uphold the integrity of the racing industry across all three codes in Queensland.

“We have a rigorous licence application process for all industry participants,” Mr Barnett said.

“As a part of this process, participants are asked to disclose any past criminal history they have.

“I understand some people think their history is not relevant, and that may be the case, but we still need to know about it.

“Under section 214 of the the Racing Integrity Act 2016, a person must not knowingly make a false statement in an application for a licence or approval application.

“The maximum penalty for dishonesty is 200 penalty units, or two-years imprisonment.”

Mr Barnett said the type of history may have some bearing on the approval of licence holders, but won’t necessarily mean they are automatically rejected.

“Recently, there have been some licence applicants who have lied about their criminal history,” Mr Barnett said.

“These people have not been prosecuted, however their licence applications were rejected based on their dishonesty.

“Every new licence applicant needs to have a criminal history check, so it’s immediately apparent if they are caught out.

“If you can’t pass the first honesty test, I’m not convinced you’ve proved you are a fit and proper person to enter the racing industry.

“This is a timely reminder to all applicants – you must be truthful when filling out your documents. If you aren’t, you will be found out, and your application will be rejected.”

Licence renewals will soon start across all three codes, including but not limited to trainers, jockeys, syndicates, colours, breeders, and stud masters.