Investigation into Tasmanian racing

In September 2021, the Tasmanian state government announced an inquiry of sorts into Tasracing and the Office of Racing Integrity. 

The Minister for Racing Jane Howlett framed the investigation as a review of the state’s racing laws. However, it is far more likely to be a reaction to a string of ongoing issues with Tasracing and the Tasmanian Office of Racing Integrity (ORI). Unusually, no terms of reference have been provided for the review.

The Tasmanian Racing Club, Tasmanian Trotting Club and the Hobart Greyhound Racing Club stated that if the review was limited to the Racing Act 2004, it would not “deliver the transformative structural change that the Tasmanian Racing Industry so desperately needs”.

Key points

  • 21 staff have left the Office of Racing Integrity (ORI) since 2018 with many vacancies remaining unfilled.
  • Current and ex-employees label the ORI workplace "dysfunctional" and a "toxic environment".
  • In April 2021, Tasmania Cup winner Rhys Nicholson was stripped of his victory and $75,000 in prize money. Nicholson was found guilty of excessive and improper use of the whip and "hocking" which is where the jockey's foot comes into contact with the back of the horse's leg.
  • Anthony Latham, acting general manager, ORI is under investigation over an allegation that he requested a $200 fine against Rhys Nicholson be dropped and deleted from the record.
  • Former Racing Integrity and Stewards manager John King was forced to step aside due to a professional standards investigation in relation to his previous career with the police force.
  • As at 2 September 2021, four greyhounds had been killed racing at the Hobart track compared to two for the whole of 2020. Two greyhounds were killed on the Hobart track in one week.
  • In October 2020, major Tasmanian trainer and head of Tasmania's Greyhound Adoption Program was suspended after one of her dogs tested positive to a banned substance.
  • In late 2020/early 2021, two major horse racing meets were cancelled at the last minute and others were under threat due to poor track conditions.
  • The Tasmanian Minister for Racing has announced $8m in taxpayer funding for a new harness and greyhound racing track in Devonport. There is no commitment to incorporating a straight greyhound racing track despite 75% of fatal injuries occurring on track turns.

A taxpayer-funded industry

A 2020 report produced by the Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance stated that government funding for the Tasmanian racing industry is more than double any other Australian jurisdiction. The industry receives a minimum of $27 million a year as part of a 20 year contract between the two bodies agreed in 2009. Despite this, Tasracing reported a loss of $3.92 million over the 2019/2020 financial year.
 

In late September 2021, Minister for Racing Howlett stated that “more than 5,500 Tasmanians are either employed in the industry or are direct participants”. However,  the Treasury and Finance report showed that according to the most recent ABS census data (2016), 181 people derived their main income from the industry which equates to 0.08 percent of the Tasmanian workforce.

* Source: Tasmanian Treasury Report
+ Government funding data is not available for WA and NT

Sources and further information