Greyhound Review: Recommendations

Last month I commissioned an independent investigation into animal welfare provisions in the greyhound racing industry following horrific evidence of live baiting in some mainland states.

Yesterday, I received a report on that investigation which was conducted by two statutory officers, the Chief Veterinary Officer and the Director of Racing.

The report says there is no evidence that live baiting is occurring in Tasmania, but there are a number of recommendations on how we can strengthen the provisions against such illegal and abhorrent activity in Tasmania.

The recommendations include:

• Amending the Rules of Racing to create a mandatory penalty that any person found guilty of live baiting is disqualified from the industry for life, and any dogs under their care and control also be banned; and to prohibit small animals from being kept on a property where greyhounds are trained;
• Registering all private bullrings with Racing Services Tasmania, the integrity body, and reporting whenever a Tasmanian greyhound is taken interstate for training;
• Establish a formal Memorandum of Understanding between Racing Services Tasmania, the RSPCA and Tasmania Police for the exchange of information;
• Review the current breeding programs and incentives provided by Tasracing as the industry body, to ensure responsible breeding occurs within industry, with a view to reducing wastage; and
• Enhance the powers of entry for Animal Welfare Officers under the Animal Welfare Act.

The Government will consider all the recommendations and I will advise of the actions in due course.

The full report will be tabled as soon as possible, however, as should be the case, key stakeholders must be briefed first.

The report underlines the need for industry to develop a culture where the community can be confident that animal welfare standards meet contemporary expectations.

The Government supports a Parliamentary Inquiry into live baiting and other greyhound welfare issue, and I trust this report will greatly inform any inquiry on these matters.

REVIEW OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR ANIMAL WELFARE IN THE TASMANIAN GREYHOUND RACING INDUSTRY

Report and Recommendations prepared by:
Rod Andrewartha, Chief Veterinary Officer, Biosecurity Tasmania (CVO)
Tony Murray, Director of Racing, Racing Services Tasmania (DOR)

RECOMMENDATIONS

In total, the CVO and the DOR have made 29 recommendations, which are detailed below, by reference to the relevant Terms of Reference:
5.1 Live Baiting
1. Create a mandatory penalty under the Rules of Racing that any person found guilty of live baiting is disqualified from the industry for life.
2. Create a rule which imposes a penalty not only on the person found guilty of live baiting, but also on any greyhound in the person’s care and control.
3. Create an offence under the Rules of Racing for a person to keep or house on a property used for training or educating greyhounds, any small animals that could be used for live baiting.
4. Create an offence under the Rules of Racing for a person to have on a property used for training or educating greyhounds any device for the trapping of small animals.
5. Only permit the use of bullrings by a registered person who is in charge of the property on which the bullring is located and only permit greyhounds trained by that person to utilise the facility.
6. Investigate the construction of bullrings on registered trial tracks under the control of Tasracing, with 24/7 CCTV monitoring which is only available to Racing Services Tasmania stewards or RSPCA officers (if this recommendation is adopted, consider the banning of all private bullrings).
5.2 Lifespan of a Greyhound
1. Ensure races are programmed specifically for greyhounds with less ability and for mature age greyhounds
2. Ensure that the Grading Schedule provides further racing opportunities for greyhounds that are no longer competitive in their current grade.
3. An assessment be made of funding and opportunities for greyhounds to be rehomed once they have completed their racing careers
5.3 Welfare-related Legislation, Rules, etc
1. A review of the interaction between national and local rules be undertaken, noting that national rules should prevail over any local rules and that a harmonised national approach should be adopted.
2. Ensure breeding rules and policies are supported and informed by detailed statistical data and education.
3. Regularly assess breeding rules and policies to ensure they are consistent and compliant with animal welfare legislation and contemporary animal welfare standards.
5.4 Conflict between Policies
1. Ensure incentives to breed are properly balanced with responsible breeding and welfare considerations.
2. Transfer current funding allocated to a Vaccination, Microchipping and Rearing Rebate (formerly referred to as a breeder’s bonus) to retirement and rehoming opportunities for greyhounds.
5.5 Adequacy of Powers
1. Enhance the powers of entry for animal welfare officers under the Animal Welfare Act 1993, and RST stewards under the Rules of Racing, to ensure they are properly supported with respect to live baiting and other animal welfare issues.
2. Consider an amendment to the Racing Regulation Act 2004 to enable stewards to require unlicensed persons to appear before inquiries and provide documents if it can reasonably be determined that the person is of particular interest to an inquiry under the Rules of Racing.
5.6 Education, Training and Competencies
1. Implement an industry education program with respect to contemporary animal welfare standards.
2. 18. Link licensing requirements to attendance and assessment at education programs in respect of animal welfare standards.
5.7 Compliance Programs
1. Create a rule of racing that at all times (from whelping onwards) a greyhound must be in the possession of, and under the ownership, care and control of a licensed person.
2. Establish a requirement that all bullrings and training tracks on properties used for the training and education of greyhounds are registered by the Director of Racing.
3. Establish a process of inspection and audit of properties that have a bullring and/or training track on the property.
4. Consider the employment of a Racing Integrity Manager and an additional Steward Investigator to support the Director of Racing and enhance the delivery of integrity and animal welfare objectives.
5. Review security and surveillance protocols and practices in place at all Tasracing-controlled racing and trialling venues.
5.10 Practices and Procedures
1. Make it a requirement that any greyhound that travels interstate whilst still under the care and control of a Tasmanian licensed person must be notified in advance to stewards (except in the case of a greyhound travelling to fulfil an interstate racing commitment).
5.12 Reporting
1. Establish a central point of contact, that being the RSPCA, for persons with information in relation to live baiting or any greyhound animal welfare complaints. The contact details of the RSPCA to be included on all greyhound-related published documents.
5.13 Communication
1. Establish formal Memoranda of Understanding between Racing Services Tasmania, the RSPCA and Tasmania Police for the exchange of information.
2. Consider the establishment of an independent, national animal welfare taskforce to consider jurisdictional findings and to make joint recommendations to state and territory Racing Ministers and Greyhounds Australasia.
6.3 Governance Arrangements
1. Consider the development of an appropriate formal arrangement between the Racing Services Tasmania division of the Department of State Growth and the Biosecurity Tasmania division of the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment.
2. Rebrand Racing Services Tasmania to the Office of Racing Integrity to emphasise its role and differentiate from the commercial body, Tasracing.
Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Racing