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Sunday, April 2, 2017
On Tuesday, the New South Wales government announced an investment of $41 million to reform the greyhound racing industry.
The Minister for Racing, Paul Toole divulged that the new reforms will include 121 of the 122 recommendations from the industry reform panel, which was formed after a 2016 Special Commission report found “widespread cruelty” within the sector.
The only suggestion not being adhered to is that of giving the greyhound racing industry a larger percentage of TAB revenue, at the expense of the thoroughbred and harness racing sectors. In the past, TAB revenue has been divided evenly among the respective racing sectors.
Mr Toole announced that of the $41 million of tax-payer funding, $11 million will be invested into a mandatory independent integrity commission, designed to oversee the greyhound industry. He adds that this same funding will be gradually ceased by the fifth year and the industry will be responsible for ensuring its own sustainability while maintaining the new implementation of animal welfare measures.
There is yet to be any clear solution, however, as to how the industry will afford to sustain itself after the government funding comes to an end. Brenton Scott from the Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance maintains that evenly distributing TAB revenue between the different racing industries is detrimental to the greyhound racing industry. Mr Scott claims that the Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance will continue to advocate for a fair funding scheme that will ensure that greyhound racing receives enough funding to remain self-sufficient.
A point-of-consumption tax has also been suggested as a potential measure to ease the financial pressure that the industry is facing. Mr Toole claims that this tax will be enforced on bets on sport, and target betting businesses on which sport the bets are placed on, rather than where the service is located.
The shift in the landscape of the greyhound racing industry has been a direct result of animal welfare concerns, brought to light in 2015 by investigative journalism body, ABC’s Four Corners.
In response to this expose, the state government responded in 2016 with a special commission of inquiry into the NSW greyhound racing industry.
This comes after a backflip of then-New South Wales Premier Mike Baird on banning greyhound racing in New South Wales in 2016.
Mike Baird commented that at the time of the ban, he did not give the people involved in the greyhound racing industry an opportunity to reform.