MURWILLUMBAH has missed out on a potential $11 million investment after it was announced greyhound racing will be banned in the state.

The operators of the Border Park raceway at Tweed Heads have for several years been contemplating a move with Murwillumbah earmarked as a prospective new home for greyhound racing in the region.

That plan has however been discarded following the government’s decision to ban greyhound racing from July 1, 2017.

“We were looking to invest $11 million and move to Murwillumbah but that will now be lost as there is no use investing in the state if we can’t race,” Tweed Heads Coursing Club secretary manager Stephen McGrath said.

“We had been looking at two or three sites in Murwillumbah but now we will be investigating other options.”

The racing ban adds to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Border Park facility which has had the number of race meetings it hosts slashed to just 26 a year.

As far back as 2013 it was reported that a large portion of the 11.4 hectare site had been sold to accommodate a Bunnings Warehouse.

That sale fell through in December 2015 but the owners remain committed to exploring other options.

There have been suggestions that greyhound racing at Border Park would to be transferred to Queensland’s racing jurisdiction to circumvent the ban on racing in NSW but Mr McGrath dismissed the idea.

“The thing is we are in NSW and a border is an impossible thing to move,” he said.

His comments came before a high level meeting on Thursday between NSW Premier Mike Baird, Racing Minister Troy Grant and racing officials, during which the Government reaffirmed its commitment to end the industry in NSW.

Mr Baird said there were only eight countries in the world where greyhound racing remained legal.