By Greyhound Australasia CEO SIMON STOUT

A key aspect of Greyhound Australasia’s role is to support its member jurisdictions through national alignment and collaboration.

One such area is stakeholder engagement. A key tool in this process is a complete picture of the greyhound industry – specifically its economic and social footprint across Australasia.

In late 2023, economic consultants IER, were engaged to provide an independent and reliable assessment of the size and scope of the greyhound racing industry in Australia and New Zealand.

The IER study included an estimation of the economic impact, job creation, tax benefit and tourism generation of the greyhound racing industry on the Australian and New Zealand economies in 2022/23, including analysis by jurisdiction.

The final report, due for public release in the coming weeks, will provide the greyhound racing industry with an invaluable tool for increased engagement across public, political, media and stakeholder levels.

The key takeaways of the IER GA Size and Scope report are:

• The gross value economic activity generated by the greyhound racing industry in Australasia is in excess of $2.5b, inclusive of over $900m in direct economic activity.
• The industry supports over 15,000 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs which accounts for more than $1.3b in household income throughout Australasia.
• In terms of direct spending in the industry, there’s a total of $1.9b which is largely linked to racing & wagering activity ($1.6b) followed by the preparation of greyhounds ($170+m) and the production of greyhounds through breeding ($69m).
• During the reporting period close to 34,000 roles were occupied across Australia and New Zealand which includes volunteers, racing club and industry employees, trainers and breeders.
• In the 2022/23 season, there were 52,500 individual greyhound races at 4,700 race meetings at the 62 clubs in the region which were attended by 620,000 people including participants, officials, and general attendees.

NZ Government to decide greyhound future

In recent weeks the NZ Government issued a media release outlining the Coalition Government’s Q4 Action Plan for NZ. The action plan included an explicit item to determine the future of greyhound racing in NZ – Take Cabinet decisions on the future of the greyhound racing industry.

Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) welcomed the inclusion in the Coalition Government’s Quarter 4 Action Plan, of Cabinet deciding on the future of the greyhound racing industry.

The GRNZ statement also stated that the uncertainty of being under review for the last three years has undermined industry confidence, adversely affected the mental well-being of our participants and impacted on investment decisions required across all areas of the sport. The impending decision is therefore timely and necessary.

As GRNZ rightly points out, the greyhound industry in NZ deserves certainty to plan for its future, though it must be noted that the political difference within the coalition means that a favourable outcome is less than assured.

In March, 2024, Prime Minister Chris Luxon was questioned over the future of greyhound racing in NZ. At the time Luxon said whether the Government would ban the industry would be for his racing minister, long-time racing industry supporter Winston Peters, to consider and bring to Cabinet.

“We haven’t had a discussion, the debate, or any decisions been made about it. My position remains unchanged,” he said.

Also stating that: “There are serious concerns around the future of that industry.”

The NZ PM reiterated a ban was ‘my position’ and that he had not discussed this with Minister Peters since forming Government.

At the time, Minister Peters countered the PM’s statement with: “Well, (Luxon’s) got a minister now who knows more about it than he does, and I’m on the case…. “

In June this year, when appearing before a parliamentary committee Minister Peters stated that any decision to ban the industry needed to be moderated.

He told the select committee the worst outcome would be if many greyhounds had to be euthanised because of a political decision to ban the sport.

“That’s more serious than getting killed at – than getting injured at the races … they’re not even alive at all.”

He also encouraged MPs to ‘go and watch’ greyhounds in natural and free conditions.

“Dogs love racing. Watch them in the wild. Just like horses. Three o’clock in the morning, everybody’s quiet and they’re out there having a race in the paddock.”

GA Rules – 1 November 2024

1 November 2024 marked the effective date for 21 amendments to the GA Rules, subject to their adoption by the respective Controlling Bodies, in each jurisdiction.

Many amended GARs will capture provisions currently prescribed within the local regulatory frameworks, ensuring a more aligned and consistent approach across all GA jurisdictions.

The updated GA Rules relate to provisions associated with breeding, export, substances and importantly, the removal of ear tattoo requirements. The list of GA Rule amendments, effective 1 November 2024, are:

Removal of Ear Tattoo Requirements

1. Definition – Alternate Method of Identification
2. Definition – C3 & C5

• Definition – DNA Fingerprinting

1. GAR 48 (4) Registration and Naming of a Greyhound
2. GAR 63 (5) Multiple sired litters
3. GAR 64 (1) & (2) Registration of a litter

• GAR 71 (4) Result of Service
• GAR 72 (9) (b) (i) DNA fingerprint analysis

1. GAR 89 Examination in Relation to the identity of a Greyhound

FAQs REMOVAL OF EAR TATTOO REQUIREMENTS

1. When will the requirement for greyhound pups to have an ear tattoo cease? A. As determined by the Controlling Bodies and no earlier than 1 November 2024, the requirement for an ear tattoo to be applied as part of the identification process for greyhound pups will cease. Current identification methods of microchipping and marking will continue to occur.
2. What methods will replace the ear tattoo for the identification of greyhound pups? A. The microchip will remain as the primary identifier for registered greyhounds. Several alternate identification methods are currently being advanced by Controlling Bodies to replace the ear tattoo.
3. What happens if the microchip cannot be located or read by the scanner? A. Each greyhound pup will continue to be provided with a unique registration code (currently the ear tattoo/brand) that will sit within the greyhound’s digital profile and remain uniquely attributed to that greyhound for life. If the microchip cannot be located or read, then a replacement microchip will need to be inserted and a DNA sample may be taken to verify the greyhound’s identity.

Controlling Bodies are currently addressing the implementation of alternate methods of identification, which would be available to operate if the microchip cannot be found. It is intended that these measures will be incorporated into the race day procedures at a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction level.

Breeding Rules

1. GAR 45 Other Rules in Relation to Export
2. GAR 56 Registration of Sires and Breeding Females

• GAR 57 Limit on the Age at which a breeding female can be serviced

1. GAR 58 Limit on the number of litters that can be whelped by a breeding female
2. GAR 59A Limit on the number of litters that can be whelped by a breeding female by caesarean section
3. GAR 67 Breeding Unit of Semen Collection and Registration

• GAR 70 Import and Export regulation to breeding units of semen

Prohibited and Exempted Substances

1. GAR 139 Permanently banned prohibited substances and certain offences in relation to them. (y) Bisphosphonates
2. GAR 138 Meaning of an exempted substance. (a) ethinylestradiol and/or levonorgestrel

Welfare & Others

1. Definition: Presentation or Presented
2. GAR 42 (d) Restrictions on Greyhounds Competing due to central or peripheral nervous system or vision condition

• GAR 76 Scratching after box draw

Participants are advised to revert to their local regulator for effective dates in their jurisdiction. The updated GA Rule book and full detail GA Rule amendment notifications for the amended rules are available on the GA website.

Breeding Unit Scam Alert

GA has once again been made aware of attempts being made online to deceive participants into purchasing breeding units (frozen semen vials) that either do not exist or are not genuine.
Greyhound participants should be vigilant when answering any ‘for sale’ or ‘wanted’ advertisements on well-known Greyhound websites or social media forums. Greyhound participants should not transfer any funds or provide details of breeding units, without confirming the identity and legitimacy of the individuals they are dealing with.
GA can be contacted to confirm the authenticity of any breeding unit and greyhound participants are encouraged to utilise this service before completing any transaction. Greyhound participants can also contact their local Controlling Body to confirm if the individual they are dealing with is legitimate and are encouraged to report any activity that they believe is suspicious.
Advertisers should also be mindful of the amount of information that is disclosed about breeding units, on public websites or social media channels.
GA is aware of cases where purchasers have struggled or been unable to recover money when they have been defrauded. These cases have been referred to industry regulators and federal authorities.
Greyhounds Australasia can be contacted for assistance, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, on 03 9548 3500 or by email at admin@galtd.org.au