- Independent inquiry
- Independent regulator
- Whole-of-life tracking
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. To date (2024), 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.
Regulation in other states: Vic | NSW | WA | SA | QLD | Tas | ACT
