“the time had come to make a call on the future of greyhound racing in Tasmania … “I’m concerned about the future of the industry and continue to be concerned about animal welfare.”
On 10 August the Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced that greyhound racing will be phased out in that state by 30 June 2029. A robust, statewide survey conducted by EMRS found that “Tasmanians overwhelmingly back the Liberal Government’s announced greyhound racing ban”.
The ban will come into effect when the current funding ‘deed’ expires in 2029. This will allow for an orderly transition to ensure that the greyhounds are protected and there is financial and regulatory support for their rehoming. It will also allow time for participants to transition out of the industry.
It is time that the rest of Australia follows Tasmania’s lead and ends this cruel and corrupt industry. Please take action below.
A fight they can't win
The racing and gambling industries are trying to fight back but they know the writing is on the wall in Australia and globally.
The greyhound racing industry continues to mislead the public about the extent of deaths and injuries, the ongoing abuse and neglect and just how much this cruel industry costs the Australian community.
The Q cost taxpayers $44m, Victoria could save $50m a year over the next 10 years if it ends greyhound racing, Australians lose $31.5 billion annually through gambling. And all this is built on the suffering and death of greyhounds.
US. WALES. NEW ZEALAND. TASMANIA. HELP KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING
- USE THE TEMPLATE BELOW to send an email to your local state MP. Please edit the email to add your own insights and concerns and make it clear why you believe the greyhound racing must be phased out in your state. The template will cc Premier Rockliff to show our support for his humane and nation-leading decision. If you are a Tasmanian resident, please send the email highlighting that you are one of the 74% of Tasmanians who support the decision to phase-out the industry.
- WRITE YOUR OWN EMAIL to your local MP, an email in your own words often has more impact. Under the more information heading below are links to more evidence of the cruelty and corruption of the greyhound racing industry across Australia. This may be useful in writing your own email, please make sure you call for your representative to support a phase-out of greyhound racing in your state.
More information
- The dreadful toll of track injuries and deaths: 2025 – death and injury tracking
- The waste of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars: the government funded racing industry
- Smoke and mirrors: government misinformation about taxpayer funding
- NSW – cruelty and corruption – the Drake Inquiry, the Brittan report
- QLD – the Q racing complex – the $86m deathtrap for greyhounds
- SA – widespread and deeply rooted animal welfare failures
Thank you for speaking up for greyhounds
In part, the Tasmanian announcement was triggered by the appalling death of Raider's Guide. He was four years old and had earned over $600,000 for his owners. Like so many others he suffered a catastrophic injury, a broken neck. and was transported in agony to a vet where he was killed.
Thank you for taking action for Raider's Guide and all the others who have died and suffered at the hands of this awful industry. We will never forget them.
The power of animal advocacy
This ban is the result of many years of campaigning by the community both in Tasmania and across Australia. A partnership of animal welfare and community groups was established four years ago and includes CPG, RSPCA Tasmania, Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania, Tasmanian Dog Walking Clubs, Companion Animal Network of Australia and six other community based groups.
They exposed a failing industry plagued by animal welfare issues and financial mismanagement. In May 2025, leading independent economist Saul Eslake published a damning report that revealed the greyhound racing industry was in terminal decline, propped up with millions of taxpayer dollars every year.
This follows a global trend with a dramatic shift in the attitude of mainstream political parties with cross party support for ending greyhound racing in New Zealand, Wales and now Tasmania.
Economist says funding for greyhound racing is rising faster than for education
In his new report into Tasmanian greyhound racing, economist Saul Eslake says the Tasmanian government has “an opportunity to stop throwing good money after bad”.
Tasmanian greyhound racing is poorly managed, financially unsustainable and plagued by animal welfare issues.
In his recent report, independent economist Saul Eslake provides evidence of an industry in critical decline that is propped up by Tasmanian taxpayers at an ever-increasing rate.
Under a 20-year funding agreement established in 2009, the Tasmanian greyhound racing industry has received $75 million of taxpayers’ money. Despite this generous government support, the contribution that greyhound racing makes to the Tasmanian economy is negligible, amounting to just 0.2% of gross state product and of total employment in Tasmania.
Funding for greyhound racing has risen by an annual average of 5.6 per cent over the past 15 years — faster than education funding over the same period (4.1 per cent), and general government sector spending (5.2 per cent). The report notes that the Tasmania Government funds greyhound racing at around $12.70 per person, more than double the average for all states and territories.
Mr Eslake concludes his report by saying, “There does not appear to be any compelling reason, beyond inertia, for Tasmanian greyhound racing to continue to receive generous government subsidies.”
It is time government starts working on ending the subsidies.
Read the full report here
Leading Tasmanian vets call for an end to greyhound racing
In December 2024, 38 Tasmanian veterinary professionals called for an end to the funding of greyhound racing in the state by 2029.
Dr Katrina Ward said that “recently legislated reforms do nothing meaningful to address the inescapable fact that gentle and affectionate dogs are used as cannon fodder. Greyhounds are the most systematically abused dogs in Australia.”
In the video below, Channel 7 News covers the press conference where the vets called for an end to the cruelty and inhumanity of greyhound racing. They are joined by some extraordinary greyhounds.
The press conference featured a graphic video of the suffering of greyhounds killed on racetracks. The video is available here, it comes with this warning:
“This video contains distressing content. All footage was sourced from racing industry websites. Footage is in slow motion for clarity.”
The campaign to end funding of Tasmanian greyhound racing
The campaign is advised by external, well qualified strategists and has many prongs including opinion polling, unified, consistent messaging across all stakeholder platforms, recruitment of high profile influencers and lobbying (public and private).
Grants are being sought and the campaign is also being crowdfunded. Money raised will be spent on lobbying, research and advertising. Every cent will be accounted for, and any money that is left over will be donated to charities that help to re-home greyhounds that are discarded by the industry.
Tasmanian Racing Regulation
- Serious lack of regard for, or investment in, the welfare of greyhounds in the Tasmanian racing industry.
- Alarming lack of information in relation to doping controls within the Tasmanian racing industry.
- The Tasmanian government continues to ignore the findings of government-initiated inquiries and reviews identifying problems and recommending clear practices and initiatives to improve welfare.
Government Smoke and Mirrors
Tasmanian poll reveals overwhelming opposition to dog racing
The result of the most comprehensive opinion poll ever conducted into greyhound racing in Tasmania reveals overwhelming public opposition to dog racing.
The survey was conducted in October 2023 by EMRS, Tasmania’s leading polling and research organisation. The survey found that three quarters of all Tasmanians oppose government funding of the greyhound race industry, including 55 per cent who say they are strongly opposed to it.
Below is a quick snapshot of the key survey responses presented as charts. Click here to download a comprehensive survey document including the methodology employed.
The catalyst for the end funding campaign including this poll was the well-publicised death of a Bullock trained dog, Tah Bernard, in late 2021. The result was a 13,500 signature parliamentary e-petition last year. The petition called for an end to taxpayer funding of dog racing. It smashed the previous record for e-petitions to the state’s lower house.
Each year, the Tasmanian government provides approximately $6m of funding to the Tasmanian greyhound racing industry. Which of the following best describes how you feel about this support?
I would consider changing my vote to support a party that promised to stop funding the greyhound racing industry in Tasmania.
Now thinking about greyhound racing, how likely or unlikely are you to attend a race in the next 12 months?
The government should stop funding greyhound racing because taxpayer money is better spent on other things.
A scandal ridden industry
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