UPDATE: The state government request for feedback on the track closed on 11 February 2022. Thank you to everyone who made a submission or signed a petition.
Please keep an eye on our website and social media for updates and next steps.
The Queensland Government plans to build an unwanted, $40m taxpayer-funded, dog killing track at Ipswich. Animal lovers don’t want it because of the dreadful toll in terms of deaths, injuries and abuse. Most Queenslanders don’t want it because there are so many more important things they want this money spent on like health and education. Most Ipswich residents also don’t want it because they don’t want a venue that will attract anti-social behaviour like animal ill-treatment, doping, and racial and verbal abuse. This track will impact native species and destroy native habitat. It is close to the sacred lands of Yuggera Ugarapul peoples and it is highly likely that the property may contain undocumented Aboriginal heritage.
For these profoundly important reasons, it is crucial that people who care about greyhounds let the government know just what we think of this track.
There are only four days left until community consultation closes on Friday 11 February. To make your voice heard for the greyhounds please:
1. Follow the CPG guidelines below to make an online submission
2. Sign the Animal Liberation Queensland submission template; or both.
How to make an online submission
The online submission form asks for your details and then for your feedback to a limit of 4,000 characters. We have provided a 4,000 character response highlighting CPG’s main objections to the Ipswich track below. You can copy and paste the contents into the form and edit as required. It is always good for people to add their unique experiences of the cruelty of greyhound racing and its cost in terms of human misery and animal suffering.
The form also allows you to add an attachment. So if you want to make a more comprehensive submission or expand on what you have included in the online form you can attach a document or a .pdf. Click here for a more comprehensive overview of CPG’s objections to the track. Please use these if required to edit the online form content or create an attachment.
4,000 character response for online form
Click here to display the submission form.
I object to the planning application MID-1021-0543 for the following reasons:
It will kill and injure more dogs. 25 greyhounds were killed and 1,436 injured racing on QLD tracks last year. This does not include those dogs who were killed or injured during training or transport. The racing industry is still guilty of massive overbreeding. While QLD breeding fell after the 2015/16 live baiting expose, it is now on the increase. In 2019, Racing QLD stated that 1208 pups had been whelped, an increase of over 30% on the previous financial year. Compounding this, the QLD Greyhound Adoption Program had the highest kill rate of any state in 2020/21. 14.35% of greyhounds taken into the QLD GAP were euthanised. Given this level of ‘wastage’ of young dogs, there is absolutely no justification for building a track that will result in more deaths and suffering.
You cannot build a safe track. Ipswich will have one straight track and two curved. The main recommendation of a 2017 UTS report co-authored by Professor David Eager was “Clearly the best option is to use only straight tracks.” The report also said that the racing industry should “reconsider their aversion to straight tracks and consider developing purpose-built straight tracks. Later research by Professor Eager shows that even if oval tracks incorporate better safety designs, there is only a marginal reduction in the rate of catastrophic and major injuries. While straight tracks do not kill as many greyhounds as curved tracks, they are still lethal. Any dog that is forced to race on a QLD track risks injury and death and is being failed by the QLD racing industry and the state government.
It is opposed by the business community. Over the last two years, over 60 major brands have stated their opposition to greyhound racing. This includes ANZ, Aussie Broadband, Bendigo Bank, Citibank, Coca-Cola (“We are committed to the humane treatment of animals), Pandora, Quest Hotels, RAMS, Unilever (I would like you to know that our values are not aligned with greyhound racing or any other animal racing), Woolworths/Big W and Youi. These businesses made these decisions on solid financial grounds as well as reacting to the demonstrated animal welfare issues associated with greyhound racing.
It will create more social problems. The Australian Institute of Health Welfare stated in 2021: “The social costs of gambling – including adverse financial impacts, emotional and psychological costs, relationship and family impacts, and productivity loss and work impacts – have been estimated at around $7 billion in Victoria alone”. If this track is built, like others across Australia, it will attract a variety of anti-social behaviour including animal ill-treatment, doping, and racial and verbal abuse. Shockingly, children are a new target for the racing industry. Despite the danger of children witnessing the serious injuries and on-track euthanasia, “Family Fun Days” encourage children to be the next generation of problem gamblers. The QLD government should use the $40m to address escalating mental health problems for children, youth and adults including gambling addiction.
It will threaten native species. This development will result in the clearing of core koala habitat and other land of major ecological value. The wildlife who are not displaced through the construction phase will still be disturbed by ongoing operations. The idea of disrupting and destroying wildlife habitat to build a facility that will exploit greyhounds is ludicrous and does not reflect the values of the wider community.
It is close to sacred lands of Yuggera Ugarapul peoples. The proposed site is very close to several areas of high cultural significance for sovereign Yuggera Ugarapul people, including the Deebing Creek Mission and the Purga Aboriginal Cemetery. This development shouldn’t even be considered until it can be ruled out that the site does not contain intangible cultural heritage.
Thank you so much for having your say on behalf of greyhounds . Please comment or message on the CPG facebook page or email [email protected] if you have any questions or suggestions. We’d also love to know if you’ve made a submission or signed the petition, or both.
It’s needs to end
This is disgusting and cruel.
These beautiful animals should not be used for pathetic greed for money.
You want to gamble…go to a casino😡
This needs ro end. Not a new beginning. Please stop
Stop greyhound racing. It’s a cruel sport too much killing
Greyhound racing and the consequences of the dogs is utter cruelty. They are a wonderful breed and make good general family pets. I cannot believe that people try to win money by owning, and betting on who runs the fastest. And If you damage a leg or do not come in first then tough it’s the killing fields and more than likely a mass grave. Oh yes – I also hang you from a tree to suffocate. It’s a slow death but serve you right for not winning money for me. You see I am too lazy to go out and do an honest days’ work.
This is not sport.
Cruelty
Stop at once killing These creatures!!!!!