The Ballarat Greyhound Racing club has taken steps to allow free admission to its racetrack.

The new process will scrap entry charges for the general public, while trainers will still have to pay a small fee.

Club manager Evan Zammit said the move would be a long-term boost for the industry and for the region.

“This is a pivotal step for the future of greyhound racing in Ballarat and continuously becoming a recognised entertainment venue for the region, with no barriers to entry via fees,” Mr Zammit said.

In the first step of the process, the club will change over to a one off trainer’s service fee of $5 per race meeting. This service is fully tax deductible and will is irrespective of the number of dogs a trainer has racing.

The fee does not apply to connections or the public.

Mr Zammit said the move, which will take place on Monday, April 11, should be embraced by the greyhound racing community.

“To implement this change the Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club will incur a loss in revenue but it is a worthy sacrifice to make as it is a positive step forward in promoting and advertising greyhound racing as a free entry entertainment across our region,” Mr Zammit said.

“Five dollars is a relatively small price for trainers to have to pay, but it will help grow the industry and ultimately benefit all involved.”