NSW lays claim to highest greyhound welfare standards in Australia
NSW Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson; has today claimed the NSW greyhounds will be the beneficiaries of the highest standards of greyhound welfare in Australia following the release today of the NSW Greyhound Welfare Code of Practice.
Mr Anderson, said the new Code, which will come into effect on 1 January 2021, sets concrete expectations for animal welfare in the greyhound racing industry.
“This is a significant turning point for NSW's greyhound racing industry,” Mr Anderson said.
“From 1 January 2021 the industry must adhere to strict new measures to improve the care and welfare of every single racing greyhound in the state.
“As a result of the Code, NSW will now be leading Australia, if not the world, in providing standards for the protection of greyhounds that reflect public expectations.
“These include the largest spatial requirements for greyhound housing and the highest standards for socialisation, exercise and enrichment standards in the nation. It is also the first code to contain standards that apply to retired greyhounds who remain in the care of industry participants.”
GBOTA General Manager, Steve Noyce, said the Code sets the industry on a path to securing the long-term faith and support of the broader community.
“Our industry wants to be a world leader in how it treats its greyhound athletes not only during their racing careers, but after they are over. This Code demonstrates that,” Mr Noyce said.
The Code was also supported by the industry's commercial arm, GRNSW.
“Greyhound Racing NSW is proud that NSW is leading the way with world's-bestpractice welfare initiatives,” CEO, Tony Mestrov, said.
Mr Anderson said the public and industry stakeholders are also being invited to have their say on how the Greyhound Racing Act 2017 is working in the first review of the law since it came into force.
“These landmark reforms have helped restore public confidence in the sport, established high standards of animal welfare and delivered robust investigative and enforcement powers to target the small minority of participants who do the wrong
thing,” Mr Anderson said.
“There has been a major shift in how this sport operates and although the industry has been subject to radical cultural change over the last three years, and been hard hit by COVID, it has adapted to meet the demands placed upon it.
“This review is a chance to suggest ways we can continue to improve what has been implemented.”