CPG believes that greyhound racing in Australia will be banned through a mixture of public outrage and changes to government policy.
State governments were committed to allowing greyhound racing to continue after its fundamental animal welfare flaws and corruption were exposed in 2015. This makes them morally responsible for the greyhounds who continue to race.
CPG holds state governments accountable by challenging their communication around the greyhound industry and informing the public of the ongoing failures in animal welfare protection. CPG does this through traditional media and social media and responding to formal state government requests for input from stakeholders. CPG also works with animal welfare focussed parties including the Animal Justice Party, the Greens and some Independents to improve welfare policy for greyhounds.
Below are recent CPG submissions and presentations.
CPG’s submission focused on GRNSW’s total failure to meet its legal and social responsibilities around greyhound welfare. Particularly with regard to GRNSW’s inability to make tracks safer and the failure of their rehoming programs.
Victorian Animal Care and Protection Bill
Between December 2023 and March 2024, the Victorian government invited submissions on the Victorian Animal Care and Protection Bill 2024.
CPG’s submission focused on elements of the Bill that related to greyhound racing and identified a number of concerns with the proposed amendments.
Development Application for Goulburn straight track
In November 2023, the Goulburn Mulwaree Council invited submissions on a Development Application for a proposed straight greyhound track at the existing Goulburn Greyhound Racing Club venue. CPG objected to the proposed development on a number of grounds related to animal welfare, social and economic impacts in the locality, public interest, insufficient engagement with the Traditional Owners and inadequate evidence to support a number of aspects of the DA.
Draft Racing Regulation and Integrity Bill, Tasmania
In August 2023, the Tasmanian Government opened a draft Racing Regulation and Integrity Bill to public consultation.
CPG’s submission highlighted significant issues with the draft Bill and made recommendations to improve the regulatory framework of the Tasmanian greyhound racing industry.
Issues include the significant conflicts of interest that will occur by making Tasracing the regulatory as well as commercial entity, consultations being limited to industry stakeholders and a lack of transparency and accountability.
Submission on L-DA260/2022 – Wesley Vale Harness and Greyhound racing facility
In August 2023, the LaTrobe Council advertised a Development Application for a greyhound and harness racing facility in Wesley Vale, Tamania.
CPG’s response to the Development Application highlighted significant concerns relating to fundamental greyhound safety and lack of information about how greyhound welfare will be assured.
Inquiry into the Governance of the Greyhound Racing Industry in South Australia.
In July 2023, the South Australian Premier called for an investigation into the governance of the South Australian greyhound racing industry. This followed video evidence of abusive treatment of dogs by a leading SA greyhound trainer.
CPG submitted a report on the regulatory failures of the SA greyhound racing industry to the inquiry. The report makes 13 recommendations and highlighted that the SA self-regulation model continues to put commercial interests above greyhound welfare.
Customs Legislation Amendment (Commercial Greyhound Export and Import
Prohibition) Bill 2021 (the Bill).
In 2021, Senator Mehreen Faruqi introduced legislation to ban the export and import of greyhounds to and from Australia for commercial purposes including breeding and racing. This ban also includes a prohibition on the export or import of breeding material. In May 2023, submissions were sought on the Bill.
CPG made a submission to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee supporting the Bill in full and proposing additional amendments.
Review of SA Animal Welfare Act
As part of its review of the Animal Welfare Act, the South Australian Government invited people to share their perspectives on animal welfare, how the current laws are working and how they might be improved.
In March 2023, CPG made a submission to the Review proposing a number of improvements to the Act and associated regulations. The submission emphasised the need for a regulatory framework that ensures the welfare of greyhounds and holds to account those who harm the dogs.
Greyhound Racing NSW Animal Boarding and Training facility, Martindale
It is CPG’s view that this Development Application is not in the public interest as the proposed development will not meet its stated objective and serious animal welfare concerns remain.
CPG is concerned that the proposed development will become a warehousing facility where the industry’s problem dogs will be hidden out of sight, instead of a genuine attempt to rehabilitate them to be rehomable.
CPG makes four objections to DA 2021-129 Animal Boarding and Training facility.
Draft Australian Openness Agreement prepared by ANZCCART
An openness agreement is a voluntary pledge that can be signed by organisations wishing to demonstrate commitment to greater transparency in their use of animals for research or teaching.
A working group convened by the Australian & New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) prepared a draft openness agreement for Australia. ANZCCART sought feedback on the draft Australian Openness Agreement though a public consultation process.
CPG made a submission on the draft Agreement strongly supporting the objectives of the Agreement, in particular in relation to greater transparency about the use of greyhounds in research and their fate post-research.
Please note that CPG made a submission using the ANZCCART online submission template. The contents of that submission are provided here in a .pdf format, however, the content has not been changed.
Queensland Racing Integrity Amendment Bill 2022
In February 2022, the Racing Integrity Amendment Bill 2022 was introduced into the Queensland Parliament.
According to the explanatory notes, the main policy objective of the Bill is to amend the Racing Integrity Act 2016 to reform the review processes for decisions made by stewards. Written submissions were invited on any aspect of the Bill.
CPG made a submission containing three recommendations for strengthening the Bill to ensure that decisions made by stewards and the independent panel are consistent, reasoned and subject to public scrutiny.
NSW Animal Welfare Reform
The NSW Government sought community views on a review of the current legislative framework related to animal welfare; specifically, to replace the current Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (POCTAA), Animal Research Act 1985 and Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986 and associated subordinate legislation with a single Act of Parliament and subordinate legislation.
As a result of this public consultation, the draft Animal Welfare Bill 2022 was released. In February 2022, CPG made a submission incorporating six recommendations to ensure the Bill adequately protects the wellbeing of animals, specifically, racing greyhounds that continue to be subjected to inhumane and unethical conditions.
In September 2021, as part of the initial review process, CPG made a submission that focussed on the need for any replacement legislation to protect greyhounds from cruelty and unnecessary euthanasia.
Planning Application for Greater Brisbane Greyhound Centre
The Queensland Government sought submissions from interested parties on a planning application submitted by Racing Queensland to build a $40m greyhound racing track at Ipswich.
CPG opposed the application on a number of grounds:
- Integrity of the planning process
- Animal welfare
- Exacerbating Queensland’s gambling problem
- Land clearing
- Preserving Aboriginal cultural heritage
Review of the Tasmanian Racing Regulation Act 2004
The Tasmanian Government, via its Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, sought submissions from interested parties on the review of the Racing Regulation Act 2004 (the Act).
In February 2022, CPG made a submission to the Review proposing a number of improvements to the proposed integrity model. This reflected the view of many members of the community who have concerns about the behaviour of members of the animal racing industry and poor animal welfare outcomes for racing.
Queensland Review of the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001
The Queensland Government sought community views on a review of the current legislative framework of the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 which aims to improve the welfare of animals in Queensland.
In May 2021, CPG made a submission to the Review focussing on how the Act fails to “…achieve a reasonable balance between the welfare needs of animals and the interests of people whose livelihood is dependent on the animals…”. CPG also submitted that any injuries or deaths resulting from races conducted on unsafe tracks inflict “unjustifiable, unnecessary or unreasonable pain” on greyhounds, which is inconsistent with the Act.
Whole-of-Life-Tracking Bill
On 12 May 2021, Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW Upper House MP and animal welfare spokesperson, introduced the Greyhound Racing Amendment (Whole-of-life-Tracking) Bill to the NSW Parliament. The Bill is designed to protect greyhounds from unnecessary euthanasia.
In 2016, the McHugh Special Commission of Inquiry into Greyhound Racing in NSW found that around five and a half thousand healthy greyhounds were being killed every single year in the twelve years prior to the Inquiry in NSW alone.
In 2017, the NSW Government committed to tracking every greyhound from birth to death. The Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC) was given the responsibility for tracking greyhounds. However, a legal loophole means that once a greyhound is no longer owned by someone directly involved in the racing industry, GWIC can neither see the dog nor act in its welfare.
“This Bill fixes the error in the existing Greyhound Racing Act and ensures GWIC oversight of every greyhound that has ever been used in the racing industry.”
Abigail Boyd MP
Whole-of-life tracking is one of CPG’s 5 key demands of state governments if they are serious about greyhound welfare.
Note: The Parliament’s Inquiry into GWIC and the 2017 greyhound racing reforms commences hearings on 27 May.
“The unlawful euthanasia of underperforming and unwanted greyhounds has unfortunately been a scourge on the industry for decades.” Greyhound Racing NSW, 2018
Industry Consultation on Tasracing Five Year Strategic Plan
Tasracing is a Tasmanian Government-owned company and the industry body governing the three codes of racing (thoroughbred, harness and greyhounds) in Tasmania. In March 2021, Tasracing sought industry feedback on their five-year strategic plan.
CPG was invited to be part of this process and made a welfare-based submission aimed at protecting racing greyhounds in Tasmania.
Statutes Amendment (Animal Welfare Reforms) Bill, SA
The Hon Tammy Franks MLC representing the Greens in SA presented a Bill in the SA Legislative Council to amend the Animal Welfare Act and the Dog and Cat Management Act.
The South Australian Parliament then established a Joint Committee and sought submissions on the Bill.
Parliamentary inquiry into the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission
The Select Committee on the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission was established on 23 September 2020 to inquire into and report on the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC) as the independent regulator of the greyhound racing industry in New South Wales.
The inquiry was proposed by and is chaired by Robert Borsak, leader of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party. Borsak believes that “GWIC have wreaked havoc on greyhound racing with their animal rights agenda” and that “the greyhound industry has been through enough”. The deputy chair is Greens MP, Abigail Boyd.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a response to the inquiry. We will let you have an update once the findings are made available.
Review of the NSW Greyhound Racing Act
The NSW Greyhound Racing Act 2017 sets out the regulatory framework for greyhound racing in NSW and is administered by the Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation. It aims to set the foundations and governance arrangements for a sustainable greyhound racing industry. The NSW Government must undertake a review of the Act every three years and request feedback from the community.
CPG believes the Act fails to meet its stated aim of “high standards of animal welfare”. In August 2020, CPG submitted a comprehensive response to the review which is included below.
These guidelines are designed to help people submit a short response highlighting the main shortcomings of the Act.
draft NSW Greyhound Welfare Code of Practice
On 16 January 2020 the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission released a draft NSW Greyhound Welfare Code of Practice and called for feedback by 31 March 2020. Participants, industry stakeholders and the general public were invited to provide feedback.
CPG made a submission highlighting the serious shortcomings in the greyhound protection offered by the Code.
A petition to reject the Code
In May 2020, the draft Code and all submissions received were submitted to the NSW Government for consideration before signing off on the final Code.
At that time CPG launched a petition, change.org/protectgreyhounds, calling on Minister Kevin Anderson to reject the draft Code. The petition featured leading animal welfare groups from Australia and overseas highlighting the many failings in the sub-standard Code. Click here to view the quotes from animal welfare groups and comments by petition signatories.
Presenting the petition to Parliament
On 18 June, the Hon Emma Hurst took the petition to the NSW Parliament for CPG.
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Racing Minister Kevin Anderson releases the final Code
The final Code was released on 30 June. While the Code failed to meet public expectations across numerous areas, at least two things were achieved for actively racing greyhounds:
- the minimum 30 minutes of exercise for adult racing greyhounds that had been omitted from the draft Code was included in the final Code,
- the minimum housing pen space for a racing greyhound was increased from 3m2 to 3.5m2.
CPG’s news release of 30 June 2020 provides details of how the final Code abandons greyhound welfare.
The Hon Emma Hurst presents the CPG petition to the NSW Parliament
Select Committee on Animal Cruelty Laws in NSW
This Select Committee was established on 8 August 2019 to inquire and report on the effectiveness of arrangements for the administration and enforcement of NSW laws. The Select Committee began its inquiry in the third week of October 2019 and will report by 2 April 2020.
CPG’s submission to the Select Committee was based around our 5 key demands which the state government must implement if they are serious about greyhound welfare.
CPG Submission and Presentation to the Select Committee
On 13 February 2020, Dennis Anderson, National President, CPG presented to the Select Committee and responded to the Committee’s questions.
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