IN an extraordinary move, New South Wales Premier Mike Baird has made the decision to shut down the greyhound racing industry in his state.

The move is in response to findings of “cruelty to animals and other illegal activities” by The Special Commission of Inquiry headed by former High Court judge Michael McHugh, which handed its findings to the state government last week.

Baird described the findings of the report as, “chilling, confronting, it’s horrific.

“As you will see when you go through the report, he (McHugh) has shone the light on an industry that has overseen the slaughter of tens of thousands of healthy dogs whose only crime was they weren’t fast enough.

“He’s also shown an industry which has turned a blind eye to the barbaric practice of live baiting. He’s shown that the industry has a culture of deception. Indeed the Commissioner has found that it is no longer entitled to the trust of the community.”

Troy Grant, the deputy premier and NSW racing minister, said “this is a bloody awful day”.

“No government wants to close down an industry and there are many many people who have done nothing wrong,” he said. “They have been let down by their own industry.”

The NSW RSPCA reacted with joy after the announcement.

RSPCA NSW is ecstatic to announce that Greyhound Racing will be BANNED in NSW. pic.twitter.com/s6LMNr4pnK — RSPCA NSW (@RSPCANSW) July 7, 2016

The Special Commission of Inquiry, which handed its findings to the state government last week, found that between 48,000 and 68,000 greyhounds were killed in the last 12 years because they were deemed uncompetitive.

Greyhound Racing NSW said in a statement that it has been left in dismay by the move to shut the sport down.

“The greyhound racing industry is devastated by today’s decision by the NSW Government to shut down the sport in NSW,” the statement read.

“Around our state there are many thousands of responsible participants who treat their greyhounds like family who are involved in the greyhound racing industry either through training, racing or supporting the sport.

“These people were as dismayed as others by the exposure of completely unacceptable and inhumane practices within greyhound racing. That is why they supported the significant reforms made by Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) over the last 12 months.

Greyhounds have been destroyed in their tens of thousands for not being race worthy. Source: News Corp Australia

“In the past 16 months, GRNSW has transformed the organisation and regulation of the industry to significantly improve animal welfare and supervision of the industry.”

“GRNSW had taken decisive action as it strived to recover community trust and believed that its reforms and strategic direction could have transformed the sport into a stronger sustainable one in which animal welfare and integrity were fundamental to a vibrant future. The industry wanted to do more and was committed in doing so.”

The Victorian and Queensland governments have both insisted they will not follow New South Wales’ lead, and will allow their greyhound industries to continue operating.

“Clearly, the greyhound industry is aware that it’s on its last chance,” Queensland Racing Minister Grace Grace said.

“That’s why we’ve established a new Queensland Racing Integrity Commission to oversee animal welfare across all three codes of racing.

“This is the best-resourced racing integrity body in the country and it will not hesitate to punish anyone involved in animal cruelty.”

Greyhounds in action during a race. Picture: Justin Brierty. Source: News Corp Australia

Betting agency TAB released this statement a short time after Baird’s announcement.

“Tabcorp Holdings Limited notes an announcement made today by the NSW Government in relation to the ceasing of greyhound racing in NSW as of 1 July 2017.

“NSW greyhound racing represents around 5 per cent of Tabcorp’s total wagering turnover. However, Tabcorp expects a significant level of substitution will occur to other wagering product, such as thoroughbred racing, harness racing, sport and animated racing.

“Tabcorp’s media business, Sky Racing, will work with other Australian and international racing industry bodies to source alternative racing product.”

Baird made the initial announcement via a Facebook post. This is the full text of that post.

In response to widespread illegal and unconscionable activity, including the slaughtering of tens of thousands of dogs, I can today announce that NSW is putting an end to greyhound racing.

More than a year ago, we established a Special Commission of Inquiry into the greyhound industry after very disturbing reports emerged of cruelty to animals and other illegal activities.

We have now received the report of the Commission, conducted by former High Court Judge Michael McHugh, and the findings are damning. A link to the whole report is below, but some of the findings include:

• The mass killing of greyhounds. The report found, “In NSW in the last 12 years … somewhere between 48,891 and 68,448 dogs were killed because they were considered too slow to pay their way or were unsuitable for racing.” In the industry, they call this “wastage”. It’s not wastage: it is the unnecessary slaughtering of tens of thousands of healthy dogs.

• The widespread practice of “live baiting”. This is where live animals, like rabbits, are used as bait to be chased by dogs in training sessions. The report found that, even though this is already illegal and carries heavy penalties, “a trainer, who admitted to engaging in live baiting, testified that about 10-20% of trainers engaged in live baiting.”

NSW Premier Mike Baird. Picture: Tim Hunter. Source: News Corp Australia

• The systemic deception of the public concerning the numbers of deaths and injuries of dogs. It is estimated that 180 greyhounds per year sustain catastrophic injuries during races such as skull fractures or broken backs that result in their immediate death. But the commission found that “Greyhound Racing NSW had adopted a policy of deliberately misreporting the extent of injuries suffered by greyhounds at racetracks.”

• The industry is not capable, in the short or medium term, of reforming. The report found that “it appears unlikely that the issue of the large scale killing of healthy greyhounds by the industry can be addressed successfully in the future.” In fact, the report found that, “such is the culture of the industry and some of its leaders that it is no longer, if it ever was, entitled to the trust of the community.”

One of the issues we have had to wrestle with is the positive impact of the greyhound racing industry. There are over 1000 direct jobs in the industry and nearly 6000 registered owners of greyhounds. Dog racing can be an important part of the social fabric of regional towns. And, of course, having a punt on the dogs over a few beers is good fun for many people.

So, as Mr McHugh asked, do such benefits of the dog racing industry outweigh the shortcomings?

Based on this report, the Government believes they do not.

The Greyhound racing industry in NSW is set to be shut down. Source: News Corp Australia

Greyhound racing has been banned in many countries and many states of the US and is legal in only eight countries around the world. NSW will be the first state in Australia to ban it.

Over the coming months, we will consult with the industry to help minimise the pain as best we can for the innocent industry participants as we work towards an orderly industry shutdown. We will develop a strategy to work with the RSPCA to manage the welfare of existing greyhounds. And the transition arrangement for Greyhound Racing NSW assets (like greyhound racing tracks) will ensure they are used for open public space, alternative sports facilities or other community use.

I feel much empathy for innocent trainers and those who will lose their job or hobby as a result of this. And I understand the disappointment of people who enjoy having a punt on the dogs. But we simply cannot and will not standby and allow the widespread and systemic mistreatment of animals.

You can read the full report here: http://www.greyhoundracinginquiry.justice.nsw.gov.au/