Punters will also be deprived of traditional post-race entertainment by Tod Johnstons’ popular Perth band Peace/Love.

The shock decision to cancel was made after recent heavy rain leaked through the ageing roof into the tote area and bar, wrecking a new 104cm (55-inch) TV and soaking other electrical equipment.

It is understood concerns were also raised about the poor condition of the Toodyay race track after two unseasonally dry summers left insufficient grass on the surface.

The Toodyay Race Club says it has spent thousands of dollars on maintenance over several years but has no money to pay for major repairs.

A large aluminium roof that spans the main betting area and bar has been patched many times and needs replacing at an estimated cost of at least $100,000.

Gutters are rusted and broken, and showers need to be installed for female jockeys who feature strongly on country race cards.

Model aircraft enthusiasts are the only regular visitors to the shire-owned racecourse which is used only once a year for the annual running of the Toodyay Cup.

A decision to move the Toodyay Cup to Belmont instead of Northam follows years of financial friction between the two neighbouring Avon Valley race clubs.

The Toodyay Race Club leases the track and buildings from the Shire of Toodyay, which said four or five years ago that it would upgrade the facilities but failed to allocate budget funds to pay for it.

Shire President Rosemary Madacsi alluded to it in this month’s President’s Pen report when she suggested community input on how best to manage all shire-owned sport and recreation facilities.

Toodyay Race Club Chair John Prater said the main roof had been patched every year for the past 15 years and was now beyond repair.

“All the gutters are rusted and don’t work,” he said.

“Water leaks into the bar and tote.”

Mr Prater, a former Toodyay shire deputy president until 2013, said tickets would be sold for buses to Belmont for the running of this year’s Toodyay Cup in Perth.

The town’s security cameras were upgraded under the direction of former shire CEO Stan Scott in 2019 after years of delays.

The new cameras – some with advanced vehicle number plate recognition technology – were understood to be incorrectly earthed.

“There was no written agreement and to the best of our knowledge, the cameras were installed by the shire without Western Power approval,” a power utility spokesperson said.

“Western Power inspectors were alerted to the cameras and upon inspection deemed them unsafe and disconnected the power.”

Toodyay police say there are 14 shire-owned video security cameras in the central business district, including two at Duidgee Park.

Video camera display screens inside Toodyay Police Station have been blank for months and the viewing software is frozen.

Police have been unable to trace the occupants of wanted or suspicious vehicles by using number plate recognition to check if potential offenders have been in Toodyay.

Some shire cameras are installed on Western Power light poles and the rest are mounted on other supports.

The shire installed six security cameras in Stirling Terrace in 2019, including five on light poles.

Acting Shire CEO Tabitha Bateman said a search of shire records had failed to find any evidence of a written agreement with Western Power in 2019 to mount cameras on light poles owned by the State power utility.

She said the problem was raised with Western Power last year but the shire had yet to hear back after being promised a response by February.

It is understood Western Power discovered that its light poles were being used without permission when a work crew was called out last year to check a report of water spouting from one of its Stirling Terrace light poles.

It resulted in all shire cameras on Western Power light poles being disconnected because they were ruled to be unsafe.

The power utility said its engineers had since designed and developed new equipment to make the fittings safe.

“This connection type has been specifically designed for this type of application so that local governments and other customers will be able to use this design to mount a range of products, including safety cameras, weather stations and other sensors,” the spokesperson said.

“Testing has now been completed with the first set of permanent installations expected to be completed by July.

“The original prototype testing was scheduled earlier but was delayed for six months due to global supply chain issues.

“Western Power will complete the work, including the mounting of the equipment.

“Maintenance and operation of the cameras will be done by the shire.

“Costs for this project are yet to be finalised.”

Western Power said one other WA local government authority had a similar problem.

The dogs were unregistered and the ranger reported that the animals were being kept in poor conditions.

Puppy farming is tightly controlled in WA after new State laws were adopted last year.

It followed complaints of unhygienic conditions and animal cruelty.

Breeders must be approved and comply with strict local government local laws and State legislation to protect puppies’ health and buyers’ rights.

Shire of Toodyay local laws allow no more than two dogs to be kept on a property unless councillors vote to approve additional animals up to a maxmimum of six.

No application was made to keep more than two dogs at the Julimar property.

The shire ranger reported the discovery of guns and crossbows to Toodyay police while the shire started searching for suitable alternative accommodation for the 35 dogs.

There was no room in the shire dog pound at the West Toodyay recycling depot for so many animals.

The matter was reported to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Perth in a bid to to help find alternative accommodation.

The shire ranger returned to the property with Toodyay police a few days later to find that all the animals and been removed and the adults gone, leaving the house empty.

The ranger attached a $250 shire infringement notice for an alleged breach of local health laws to the front door.

Investigations are continuing into other potential breaches of local and State laws.

It is thought that the puppy farm owners may have abandoned a similar operation in Joondalup before moving to Toodyay.

Shire authorities fear the puppies may have been shifted to another secret location – possibly also in the shire.