Local greyhound trainers and owners over the moon as NSW ban is overturned
GREYHOUND trainers and owners in Sydney’s Hills District have praised Premier Mike Baird for his backflip on the ban on their industry and say their lives are back on track.
Rouse Hill
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GREYHOUND trainers and owners from Sydney’s Hills district say their lives are back on track now that the ban on racing has been lifted, albeit with several conditions.
Semi-rural areas including Riverstone, Box Hill, Schofields and Marsden Park are home to several greyhound trainers and owners and the overturning of the ban by the Baird Government cannot come sooner for them.
Subject to the government-appointed Greyhound Industry Reform Panel’s recommendations, legislation would be introduced early in 2017 to repeal the ban.
Rouse Hill-based Greyhound Rescue say they are very disappointed the ban has been overturned and said they will continue their fight for dog racing to be banned.
Riverstone state Liberal MP Kevin Conolly, one of the few government MPs to speak out against the ban in Parliament, while welcoming the reversal, said it’s also the last chance for the greyhound industry to reform themselves.
“I welcome the news as the Premier has done the right thing,” Mr Conolly said.
“It’s been a difficult time for the government and I am pleased with the outcome.
“Many people told me about their concerns over the ban. I was against the way the ban was to be implemented and wanted the greyhound industry to have time to reform.
“This is the last chance for the industry if they cannot meet the benchmark.”
Greyhound Rescue’s Kate Allan said they are upset at the backflip to overturn the ban and vowed to fight to end greyhound racing.
“While we are extremely disappointed with the planned reversal on the greyhound racing ban in NSW, we at Greyhound Rescue will continue to do as we have always done — continue to rescue and rehome hounds that need our help,” Ms Allan said.
“We are not activists as all our energy and limited resources is focused on rescue — but we will always support those that do and will continue to fight for an end to greyhound racing, however we can.
“We have had an increase in adoptions following the release of the Special Commission of Inquiry’s Report in July and have been flooded with inquiries and messages.
“Our volunteers have been working harder than ever before behind the scenes to keep up.
“We do not expect a drop in adoptions, with greyhounds firmly in the public eye and the enormous interest as a breed a lot of myths have been laid to rest and more people are considering adopting a hound than ever before.
We also don’t expect the numbers incoming to drop ... The ban reversal does not make our job easier in the long term as greyhounds will continue to be bred and raced, and in need of homes.”
For Box Hill trainer Dean Swain, it’s a huge relief.
“Imagine going to work every day and not knowing what’s going to happen to the work you love,” said Mr Swain, who trains more than 20 racing greyhounds for racing. “It’s a huge relief and I am over the moon.
“It’s takes a big man to say he was wrong and to watch Mr Baird today and hear Mr Baird say sorry makes him a good premier.”
Local greyhound owners, Colleen and Mario Abela, who lobbied the government to lift the ban, said they are grateful to Mr Conolly, the Labor Party and the media and others along with the media for standing by them.
‘“It is like waking up from a bad dream, Mario and I are relieved and excited,’ Mrs Abela said.
“I have renewed respect for Premier Mike Baird for admitting that he was wrong.
“I think it is a win for the ordinary person, but we wouldn’t have won without the support of so many people, including Luke Foley and the NSW Labor Party, Ray Hadley and Alan Jones, as well as the Daily Telegraph and the Australian newspapers.
“I am also grateful to Kevin Conolly for supporting us, and for standing up against the ban.
“I would like to see the ban repealed immediately, but it is still a wonderful day — a victory for justice and a fair go.”
What Premier Baird said
Premier Mike Baird said the government had listened to community concerns about the racing ban and the way it was implemented.
“We firmly believed the government’s decisive response to the animal cruelty outlined in Justice McHugh’s report was the right one — but we misjudged the community’s response to that report,” Mr Baird told a packed press conference on October 11.
“It’s clear the community agrees that the cruelty must end, but we underestimated the community’s desire to give the greyhound industry one last chance to reform and conform to the highest standards of animal welfare.
“The industry can’t return to the status quo — the barbaric practices of live baiting, cruel wastage and high rates of injury must end.”
Greyhound Industry Reform Panel
Former Premier Morris Iemma will chair a Greyhound Industry Reform Panel to determine the new regimen and ensure NSW Greyhound Racing is the cleanest in the country, including:
■ Mandatory life bans as well as increased jail terms for live baiting;
■ Registering all greyhounds for their entire lives;
■ An independent regulator with strong new powers to ensure transparency and accountability;
■ Substantially increased resources for enforcement and prosecution as well as animal welfare.
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