The ACT will become the first state or territory in Australia to ban greyhound racing despite no evidence of cruelty in the local industry, after Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay vowed to outlaw the sport by the end of June 2018.
![Greyhound racing is to be banned in the ACT.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170623051229im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/5/s/f/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwwufe.png/1498194287504.jpg)
An independent report by Mary Durkin, released on Friday morning, found it was "impossible" to separate the ACT industry from the track record of Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW), which is the controlling body for racing in the ACT.
This was despite finding no evidence of live-baiting and only a fraction of dogs had been injured or euthanised at the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club's (CGRC) Narrabundah track.
It was also despite no formal research into the community's attitudes on greyhound racing, although the government claimed racing was "out of step" with what Canberrans wanted.
Mr Ramsay said the government had been given a "mandate" to end greyhound racing at last October's ACT election. The ban was part of ACT Labor's power-sharing agreement with the Greens to form government.
The ban goes further than action proposed by the NSW government to stamp out cruelty in the industry. While NSW has since reversed its plans to ban the sport outright, instead offering the industry a second chance, the disgraced GRNSW will be replaced by the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission by the end of this year.
That presented problems for the ACT, as the Canberra racing industry is overseen by GRNSW.
![ACT Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170623051229im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/l/s/e/m/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwwufe.png/1498194287504.jpg)
Ms Durkin said relying on the new agency to oversee racing in Canberra could be costly and folding that oversight role into local government would increase the regulatory burden.
She recommended the government ban the sport by the end of this year, in order for greyhounds to be rehomed and assistance packages doled out to former owners, breeders and trainers by next June.
![Liberal politician Mark Parton.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170623051229im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/f/n/s/l/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gwwufe.png/1498194287504.jpg)
But the move has already prompted speculation about the industry moving over the border to Queanbeyan, with the ACT Opposition questioning the "point of the ban" as it will still be legal to own, train and breed greyhounds for racing.
NSW deputy premier Nationals' John Barilaro reportedly told 2GB host Ray Hadley he would "build a greyhound racing track at Queanbeyan in response to the ACT banning the sport". Mr Barilaro later backed away from his comments, saying via a spokeswoman he was open to a "chat" with Canberra's greyhound racing industry.
#BREAKING @JohnBarilaroMP has told Ray Hadley he'll build a greyhound racing track at Queanbeyan in response to the ACT banning the sport
— 2GB 873 (@2GB873) June 23, 2017
'Impossible' to determine 'wastage'
The Durkin report found of the 27,000 dogs raced in Canberra over the past five years, more than 320 dogs sustained minor to catastrophic injuries in ACT races. Twenty-six dogs were destroyed at the track on the day of a race.
Canberra Liberals' MLA Mark Parton said those figures were not indicative of systemic cruelty.
"When you consider that figure based on 27,000 greyhounds it wasn't all that high. If you have 27,000 greyhounds running around in backyards over five years, you're probably going to get 320 injuries," Mr Parton said.
However Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur said the lack of evidence came back to the greyhound racing industry's "self policing".
"The reason there's not as much evidence as we'd expect is because the greyhound racing industry was tasked with providing the evidence," Ms Le Couteur said.
Ms Durkin also pointed to problems with the way the club collected data on deaths and injuries and said it was "not possible" to determine the level of "wastage" because of the data and time limits of the review.
While she found no evidence to indicate the club or its stewards "sanitised" or under-reported deaths or injuries at the track, deaths and injuries were only recorded while a veterinarian was on-site for race meetings at most twice a week.
No data was available for any injuries sustained during race trials, in which 3000 dogs raced in last year. She said any trials that take place in the transition period should have a vet present.
Ms Durkin also criticised the club for claiming "nothing was hidden" when it kept its stewards reports and swab results in a password protected section of its website. The club said it was removing the password protection and countered it had only placed it there because of of "malicious cherry picking" of its data.
Government 'hypocritical' on revenue
The ACT government last year foreshadowed the withdrawal of more than $1 million of public funding from the greyhound racing industry.
The greyhound racing industry was historically funded through payments from ACTTAB, the territory's betting agency that was sold off to TABCORP in 2014.
But after industry concerns about ACTTAB's falling competitiveness and its subsequent ability to support the racing industry, the government agreed to step in, in line with recommendations from a 2011 racing industry inquiry by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission.
The government signed a a memorandum of understanding with Canberra's thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing clubs in December 2013 to provide $8 million to the racing industry, including $1 million for greyhound racing. That agreement expires on June 30 this year and the money earmarked for greyhound racing will be funnelled into an assistance package to support people forced to leave the industry.
The ACT still receives about $1 million per year for the ACTTAB licence, Mr Ramsay also revealed in budget estimates on Friday.
Canberra Liberals' racing and gaming spokesman Mark Parton suggested it was "hypocritical" for the government to accept revenue from the TABCORP licence when it involved betting on greyhound racing.
"It is hypocritical but when you consider the conversation we've had about gaming machines and there's still an umbilical cord that goes from certain clubs to ACT Labor, it's no surprise," Mr Parton said.
"They have a public position of self-righteousness but then they'll just wander around the corner and take a big bag of cash."
- with Emily Baker
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