Greyhound ban: Actor Sam Neill slams the ‘deeply regrettable’ move as ‘sucking the life out of Sydney’
JURASSIC Park star Sam Neill has slammed the NSW government’s “regrettable” ban on greyhound racing, saying thousands of jobs will be lost.
NSW
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ACTOR Sam Neill has slammed the NSW government’s “deeply regrettable” move to ban greyhound racing, saying thousands of jobs will be lost and that “instead of cleaning up the dogs, they’re killing the dogs”.
The Jurassic Park actor said the ban approved by Premier Mike Baird’s government combined with the lockout laws had “sucked the life out of Sydney”.
Speaking at a conference in Parramatta Park to announce the annual Tropfest film festival will move from Centennial Park to Western Sydney, the 68-year-old Kiwi said: “I’m grumpy because Sydney used to be such a vibrant and exciting place in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
“There was an extraordinary culture but the vibrancy has been sucked out of the place.”
The Piano star, who moved to Sydney in the ’70s, said: “I particularly lament the lockout, which has taken the guts out of the nightlife of Sydney — and Sydney without nightlife is a pointless place.
“I don’t see Adelaide as a place to go for a good time. Kings Cross is one of the saddest places I have ever been to. Every city needs a Kings Cross. London needs a Soho and Sydney needs Kings Cross.
“Instead of making the streets safe they’ve stopped the streets.
“Shutting down the dogs is a crime, it’s a valuable part of working-class culture. Film and racing and dogs are part of Australian culture.
“Instead of cleaning up the dogs they’re killing the dogs. It’s lamentable and comes with unintended consequences. How many thousands of dogs will be destroyed and livelihoods lost? It’s deeply regrettable and I’m grumpy about that.”
Greyhound racing will be shut down in NSW next July following a Special Commission of Inquiry in the wake of footage of live animals being used to blood greyhounds.
Mr Baird said the report also found between 48,000 and 68,000 greyhounds bred to race were killed in the past 12 years because they were deemed “uncompetitive”.
NSW introduced lockout laws in 2014 prohibiting patrons entering pubs and clubs in Kings Cross and the CBD after 1.30am and stopping bars serving drinks after 3am.
Mr Baird’s office declined to comment on Neill’s comments last night.
Bureau of Crime Statistics boss Don Weatherburn said the 1.30am lockout had reduced violence before 3am in Sydney’s CBD but had not had the same impact in the Cross.
“Both of them (lockouts and early closing) worked for the CBD, only one worked for Kings Cross,” he said. “Kings Cross had a 94 per cent drop (in assaults) after 3am. Kings Cross got its principal benefit out of hours after 3am.”
Former High Court judge Ian Callinan is expected to report the findings from a review into the lockout laws later this month.
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