The opening of the new Lithgow greyhound track is a dark day for the dogs and the local community, say greyhound welfare advocates.
Advocates say the track’s design is unsafe and will inevitably result in greyhound deaths and injuries, cause gambling harm, and is a waste of public money.
The track was built with $3.27 million from the state government, with racing insiders saying the cost has blown out to $11 million. If that is true, it will be the most expensive greyhound track in NSW history.
The track’s oval design, with two turns, is the most dangerous form of greyhound course. The RSPCA submission to the Drake Inquiry into NSW greyhound racing stated: “the highest rates of injury for greyhounds occur at the bends of tracks”.
The Drake Report recommended that racetrack minimum standards should include “a requirement that all newly built tracks must be straight.”
The opening comes two weeks after MPs and animal welfare and protection groups signed an open letter calling on the Minns Government to commit to a planned phase-out of greyhound racing and an end to public funding of the industry. Organisations included Alliance for Animals, Animal Liberation, Animals Australia, Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, Companion Animal Network Australia, PETA, Four Paws and Voiceless.
Quotes attributed to CPG spokesperson
“The Lithgow racetrack is guaranteed to harm greyhounds. The industry knows that straight tracks are safer but has irresponsibly built a track with turns.
Greyhound racing in NSW has a poor history in animal welfare. It has the highest injury rates in the country.
The RSPCA recently spoke out against greyhound racing in NSW, saying ‘enough is enough’, with the animal welfare risks identified as ‘overwhelming.’
Even though the industry spent millions of taxpayer dollars in track upgrades, the Drake Report found that no NSW track met minimum standards.
In a cost of living crisis, it is shocking that the Minns Government has given $3 million to an industry that is harming dogs and contributing to Australia’s growing gambling problem.
“The Lithgow area needs millions of dollars in health services, not a gambling and racing centre. The government is totally out of step with community needs.
There is no independent research that shows the economic benefits of greyhound racing.”
Links
RSPCA NSW media release on greyhound racing:
Open Letter:
https://www.