Greyhound racing regulation by state - Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds

The independent regulation of greyhound racing is essential to ensuring basic animal welfare conditions are met and monitored.

Many states do not have independent regulators and are instead managed by state-supported, commercial racing bodies. Where this is the case, accountability is low and the treatment, handling and breeding of racing animals goes largely unchecked.

Here’s how each Australian State and Territory handles greyhound racing regulation.

NSW

In NSW the commercial operator and the regulator are separate organisations.

Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) is responsible for the commercial and strategic side of the industry, registering greyhound racing clubs, developing safety standards for registered racecourses, managing the greyhound re-homing program (e.g. Greyhounds As Pets), distribution of industry funding received from the TAB, and funding the Commission

The Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC) is an independent body responsible for Controlling and regulating greyhound racing, administering the greyhound racing rules, registering greyhounds and industry participants (including but not limited to owners, breeders, trainers and bookmakers), investigating animal welfare and integrity concerns relating to greyhound racing, employing race stewards, inspectors, investigators and veterinary officers. Decisions made by GWIC can be appealed by the Racing Appeals Tribunal (RAT) in accordance with the Racing Appeals Tribunal Act 1983 and the Racing Appeals Tribunal Regulation 2015.

Victoria

There is no independent regulator in Victoria. Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) is the statutory body responsible for promoting and controlling the sport of greyhound racing in Victoria and is also the regulator. The Greyhound Racing Integrity Unit within GRV is responsible for welfare. The 2016 Inquiry into greyhound racing in Victoria recommended that the commercial and regulatory functions should be separated. The inquiry believed that having these functions contained in the same authority created a conflict of interest. The government did not accept this recommendation.

The Racing Act 1958 was updated in August 2019 to include the introduction of the Victoria Racing Tribunal (VRT) and the Victorian Racing Integrity Board (VRIB). The VRT deals with matters and offences of a serious nature, and has jurisdiction to hear appeals in relation to decisions from Stewards and other offences.

GRV states that the VRIB is “an independent, cross-code integrity board established to ensure racing integrity in Victoria and to provide enhanced integrity framework for the Victoria Racing Industry to meet strategic outcomes, monitor participant compliance, and education and meet community expectations”, but their regulatory approach is self-regulated.

GRV produce a monthly e-magazine called Greyhound Monthly Victoria, that provides industry news as well as regular reports on welfare & rehoming, and integrity.

WA

There is no independent regulator in Western Australia.

The commercial operator and the regulator is Racing and Wagering WA (RWWA). The RWWA charter under the Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003 is to foster development, promote the welfare and ensure the integrity of metropolitan and country Thoroughbred, Harness and Greyhound racing in the interests of the long-term viability of the racing industry in Western Australia.

RWWA also has responsibility for the off-course wagering functions trading as the TAB. RWWA has primary oversight of all functions relating to integrity (which includes welfare) vested with the Integrity Assurance Committee, whose membership is comprised of independent Directors, not industry associated members. The RWWA is self-regulated.

Welfare issues can be investigated by complaints to a RWWA specialised racing investigations unit.

A monthly e-magazine with industry news is called Chasing WA.

SA

There is no independent regulator in South Australia.

The Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing oversees the racing industry. Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) is the controlling body for greyhound racing in South Australia, whose key responsibility is to ensure that the sport is managed in a responsible and ethical manner and to ensure the industry’s financial sustainability for the benefit of all South Australians, which includes increasing returns to greyhound owners, breeders and trainers. Integrity is promoted by the GRSA Integrity Hearings Panel and is a self-regulated process.

Following the 2023 Ashton Inquiry into Greyhound Racing SA, an independent Greyhound Industry Reform Inspector was appointed to monitor the implementation of safety and welfare reforms.

However, the SA Government rejected calls for an independent regulator, opting instead to give GRSA two years to implement 87 recommendations regarding animal welfare and governance.

Tasmania

In Tasmania, up until February 2025, the commercial operator and the regulator were separate organisations.

Tasracing under the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) administered the commercial side of greyhound racing. The Tasmania Office of Racing Integrity (ORI) was an independent entity to Tasracing responsible for maintaining the probity and integrity of the thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing codes in Tasmania. ORI was a division of NRE Tas.

The ORI was announced to be abolished on 31 January 2024, following a number of scathing reviews of the integrity of the Tasmanian racing industry. The move was part of a major overhaul, with the functions replaced by a new model effective from 1 February 2025 where Tasracing assumed operational responsibility for integrity and animal welfare.

states, “This self-regulatory model fails to ensure that the welfare of greyhounds is prioritised and can lead to serious conflicts of interest, such as the use of financial incentives to promote greyhound breeding which in turn increase the number of dogs unwanted by the industry.“

Queensland

In Queensland, the commercial operator and the regulator are separate organisations.

Commercial operations are administered by the Racing Act 2002 under the Office of Racing in the QLD government by Racing Queensland.

The Racing Integrity Act 2016 created the QLD Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC), which is an independent statutory body to monitor racing and animal welfare, administered by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

In relation specifically to greyhound racing, it deals with Steward’s reports, internal review decisions, licensing and ownership, and veterinary services and animal welfare.

Queensland produces a monthly e-magazine called Chase, which contains news on Greyhound Racing in Queensland and NSW Northern Rivers. CHASE is distributed nationally to all Greyhound Racing Clubs and provides race information, feature race calendars, latest industry news, and exists to inform and support the greyhound racing industry.

NT

In the NT, the greyhound racing industry is self-regulated, with the Territory Government’s focus being the regulation of betting, not animal welfare.

Licensing NT oversees the registration of racing industry members. The NT Racing Commission was established under the Racing and Betting Act 1983. The Act contains no punishable offences of any kind relating to animal cruelty, even though the Commission likely has the power to do so under s.57(2)(e).

While the NT Racing Commission has a Policy for the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds, it lacks codification within legislation. The Commission website lists no penalties for the neglect of or cruelty to racing greyhounds, yet these exist in every other jurisdiction.

The NT Racing Commission also does not provide information about actions it takes to monitor and enforce compliance with the NT’s animal welfare laws or the Greyhounds Australasia Rules. This information is publicly available in other states.

In 2021, the NT Racing Commission released the Investigation into the Darwin Greyhound Association (DGA), the commercial industry body. The findings outline some of the most serious greyhound abuse so far in Australia. Despite this, neither the Commission, nor the NT Government have released any public information about action taken in response to the report.

ACT

Greyhound racing was banned in the ACT in 2018.