Tasmania government to end funding for greyhound racing by 2029
Tasmania is the second jurisdiction in Australia to end greyhound racing, after the ACT in 2018.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said it was 'increasingly clear' that greyhound racing 'does not align with community expectations'.
'I'm concerned about the future of the industry and continue to be concerned about animal welfare,' he said.
'It's time to draw a line in the sand and ensure an orderly exit from greyhound racing in Tasmania.'
The Liberal government will phase out its funding by June 30, 2029, with an oversight committee established to 'responsibly map out the pathway forward'.
'As we deliver a measured and sensible phase-out of greyhound racing, I want to be crystal clear on my support for the broader racing industry, its participants, and our regional communities,' Mr Rockliff said.
Minister for Racing, Jane Howlett, said the Racing Integrity Commissioner would 'provide advice and support to help guide this transition'.
'I am deeply committed to ensuring those in the greyhound industry, their families and their communities are supported through this transition,' she said.
RSPCA Tasmania have welcomed the decision to end government funding for greyhound racing, with a Nay report indicating a decline in support for greyhound racing in the state.
'Greyhound racing in Tasmania is propped up by taxpayers while putting the welfare of animals at risk,' RSPCA Tasmania chief executive Andrea Dawkins said.
'The community expects better, and it's time for government policy to catch up with public sentiment.'
In an open letter to the Tasmanian premier, Greyhound Racing Victoria chair Peita Duncan said Mr Rockliff was 'putting (his) personal ambition above the livelihoods of hundreds of greyhound racing participants'.
'To cave in and side with those who want to ban everything based on no facts is both soul-destroying and incredibly disingenuous for those who believed your previous commitments,' she wrote.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
40 minutes ago
- ABC News
RSPCA's Andrea Dawkins responds to announcement Tasmania's greyhound racing industry will end
Andrea Dawkins I heard about it on Saturday evening and my response was, as for many animal welfare advocates in Tasmania and indeed around the country, it was tears. I could not believe it. I had to call the person who sent me the message to confirm it and it still took me a minute to actually let it sink in that it could be real because there's very, very few days like that as an animal welfare advocate. We don't get many wins and this is considered to be quite the victory because it took a lot to get either Labor or Liberal to break ranks on greyhound racing and I applaud that decision. Ryk Goddard It's not the end of greyhound racing if the greyhound racing industry can fund itself. Do you think it's likely to continue? Andrea Dawkins I don't think it is likely to continue. I mean, that's probably more of a question for Saul Eslake or an economist, but it appears to me from everything that I've read and also from the media release from Jeremy Rockliff on the weekend that it would be phased out. Ryk Goddard What support have they talked about providing both for the industry and also welfare for dogs as the industry ends so there isn't just a mass euthanasia? Do you have any details? Andrea Dawkins No, we don't have any details yet and that's what that parliamentary committee would be set up to investigate. Sean Carroll, the Commissioner for Racing Integrity, it would be very important to have him at that table and other people with significant positions of power, but of course we need to make sure it's a just transition, not just for animal welfare advocates and organisations who'd be rehoming the dogs, but also for participants in the industry. People like the RSPCA, those who work here and the broader animal welfare ecosystem, we've got a social mission. Our mission is not at all costs to get what we want. It's to wrap services around everybody who needs them, including the people in the industry as they exit. It's very, very important that the community understand that. Ryk Goddard Lachlan from Gilston Bay said greyhound racing in Tasmania is not an industrial complex like New South Wales. It's more like Darryl Kerrigan from the castle and he says overwhelming majority of people love their dogs. Andrea Dawkins That's correct. I completely agree. It's not that machine. It's still considered an industry by Tas Racing, but certainly my interaction with those owners and trainers as they're surrendering dogs to us, it's absolutely more like that mum and dad kind of backyard. But honestly, it's not fit for purpose for those dogs. They might love them, but it's a very different kind of version of animal welfare than the one that we hold as the highest and we expect those people to be some of the first. If there is a just transition and a package available to be able to avail themselves of those packages. Ryk Goddard Andrew Dawkins, CEO of RSPCA Tasmania and until recently a Launceston City Councillor. Do you have any reasons why you stepped down last week? Andrea Dawkins I just woke up on Thursday morning and I knew it was my time. I looked back on my call. Ryk Goddard Really? It was that sudden? Andrea Dawkins Look, it was. I'd been leading up to it for some time, knowing that I wasn't going to contest again and knowing that I wanted someone to take my place and give them a chance to embed themselves, to have an opportunity to push through that next election. But after 10 years and trying to hold all of those complex issues, everybody's concerns and the way that I needed to advocate for my community, as well as being the CEO of the RSPCA, when I actually knew that greyhounds were going to need me. In fact, when people contacted me and said, why have you stepped down? I said, I just woke up and knew that I needed to be here to help greyhounds. And then three days later, the news breaks. So maybe it was some sort of precognition. Ryk Goddard What would be your next target as the RSPCA? Andrea Dawkins Oh, gee, it's pretty early days for that. I mean, we do have an advocacy agenda. There's still pets in rentals. There's still some sitting in Parliament, as is the amendments to the Dog Control Act and Animal Welfare Act around the dog regulations, which would mean there'd be a cap on breeders. So there's still some really important work that got stuck with this last election. But we're still very concerned about shooting ducks in Ramsar wetlands and a number of other issues. So cat management is not under control in Tasmania. As an animal welfare advocate in this role, I will never have a sperm in it.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
'How many children?' Israel's ambassador insists there is 'no starvation policy' in fiery interview
ABC host Sarah Ferguson has bluntly demanded Israel's ambassador to Australia disclose 'how many children' have died of starvation in Gaza as the Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed she was 'haunted' by the images. Just hours after unleashing on Australia's decision to recognise the Palestinian state, Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon fronted up for an interview on 7:30. He was promptly taken to task over whether Israel was deliberately starving families in Gaza. 'Now, do you accept that Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to listen to both friends and allies about the conduct of Israel's war in Gaza, the unending killing and the starvation of civilians, has led to this decision by Australia and like-minded countries to recognise Palestine?,'' host Sarah Ferguson asked. 'Well, the Israeli government is determined to accomplish all the objectives that were set by the government right after October 7,'' Mr Maimon replied. 'The dismantling of the Hamas military and political capabilities, the removal of the threat that Hamas is posing towards our citizens along the southern border, and the immediate release of our hostages. 'Unfortunately, so far the Hamas ... is refusing the ceasefire proposal.' But the ABC host insisted she wanted to 'bring you back to my question' which was - whether or not Israel accepted that the refusal of the Israelis to listen to concerns about the way it has conducted the war had led to this decision by Australia to recognise Palestine. 'Do you accept the withholding of food and the starvation of civilians first of all is a crime under international law?,'' Sarah Ferguson asked. 'The government of Israel is not - is not - there is no starvation policy,'' Mr Maimon replied. 'That's not to say that we believe the condition on the ground are ideal. 'There are real challenges in recent two weeks, we're not responsible for the distribution. It's also very important to recognise the role of the Hamas - the negative role of Hamas - in preventing aid to reach all those needed Palestinians.' 'Do you accept 100 children in Gaza have died of starvation in recent months? Do you accept those statistics?,'' Sarah Ferguson responded. 'Let me pose this question. How many children do they say have died from starvation in recent months?' 'Well, I have no figures, but I can push back on the Israeli hostages that did not receive humanitarian aid since October 7, nor a visit from the - none of the organisations that are responsible to assist those who are in need,'' Mr Maimon replied. 'I can talk about the starvation of David, who was just released, and I don't hear much, you know, talk about him and about the very poor condition that he was held in. 'I am not also hearing any reports about the fact that he was forced to dig his own grave, he's not the first one.' The ABC host replied that the conditions the hostages are being held in, in Gaza, were 'repulsive and rejected by all decent-minded humans around the world.' 'But we're here to talk about decisions by the Israeli government at the moment,'' she said. 'Let me ask you a final question - as an ambassador, you are obliged in your position to maintain your government's position. In our own heart, do you believe the killing and starving of civilians in Gaza should stop?' 'Once again, there is no policy of starvation,'' the ambassador said. 'I feel very sad for any loss of innocent life. I lost two members of my family on October 7. Every child matters. Whether it's Israeli or Palestinian. 'And it is very sad. It's a tragedy. But it's also important to remember that the Hamas bears the responsibility, the Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. 'It's a war we didn't ask for, nor we started. It's a war we want to end. 'But we'll end it only when our security will be granted, when the hostages will be back, and when the Hamas will not play any role in the Gaza Strip. 'I'm a father, a grandparent, exactly as I'm moved by terrible photos of David, and moving photos of Palestinian children and others,'' he said. 'May I offer my condolences, the condolences of the program for the condolences of the program for the loss you suffered. Thank you for joining us, ambassador,'' Ferguson replied. Earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has declared she was 'haunted' by the images of starving children in Gaza as she outlined the reasons for Australia's decision to officially recognise the Palestinian state. Despite international controversy over some of the images of starving children in Gaza, with Israel insisting some of the children have underlying health conditions, Senator Wong said. 'We all are haunted by the images that we have seen,'' Senator Wong told 7:30. 'Both of the horrors of October 7, and by what has occurred since, the deprivation, the deaths of so many innocent people and we are compelled to act by the circumstances. 'The world watched in horror the attacks by Hamas on October 7. 'And the world has watched in horror since as tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians are killed, thousands starving. 'The faces of children we cannot forget. 'Australians, people around the world, have been haunted by the images.'
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
State's major call on greyhound racing
The Tasmanian government will phase out its funding for greyhound racing by 2029, effectively eliminating the industry in the state. Tasmania is the second jurisdiction in Australia to end greyhound racing, after the ACT in 2018. Tasmania will effectively end the greyhound racing industry. Christian Gilles / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Premier Jeremy Rockliff said it was 'increasingly clear' that greyhound racing 'does not align with community expectations'. 'I'm concerned about the future of the industry and continue to be concerned about animal welfare,' he said. 'It's time to draw a line in the sand and ensure an orderly exit from greyhound racing in Tasmania.' Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the public's sentiment towards greyhound racing had waned in recent years. NewsWire/ Nikki Davis-Jones Credit: News Corp Australia The Liberal government will phase out its funding by June 30, 2029, with an oversight committee established to 'responsibly map out the pathway forward'. 'As we deliver a measured and sensible phase-out of greyhound racing, I want to be crystal clear on my support for the broader racing industry, its participants, and our regional communities,' Mr Rockliff said. Minister for Racing, Jane Howlett, said the Racing Integrity Commissioner would 'provide advice and support to help guide this transition'. 'I am deeply committed to ensuring those in the greyhound industry, their families and their communities are supported through this transition,' she said. RSPCA Tasmania have welcomed the decision to end government funding for greyhound racing, with a Nay report indicating a decline in support for greyhound racing in the state. 'Greyhound racing in Tasmania is propped up by taxpayers while putting the welfare of animals at risk,' RSPCA Tasmania chief executive Andrea Dawkins said. 'The community expects better, and it's time for government policy to catch up with public sentiment.' In an open letter to the Tasmanian premier, Greyhound Racing Victoria chair Peita Duncan said Mr Rockliff was 'putting (his) personal ambition above the livelihoods of hundreds of greyhound racing participants'. 'To cave in and side with those who want to ban everything based on no facts is both soul-destroying and incredibly disingenuous for those who believed your previous commitments,' she wrote.
