Is anyone actually holding Greyhound Racing NSW accountable for its blatant failure to meet minimum track standards?

Today in Budget Estimates, Abigail grilled Steve Griffin, CEO of the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission and the Minister for Gaming and Racing, David Harris, about Greyhound Racing NSW's continual disregard for meeting the minimum racetrack standards.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: For a long period of time Greyhound Racing NSW has failed to meet the minimum track standards. I know that GWIC has been doing quite a lot of work in trying to assist with improving the minimum track standards, but Greyhound Racing NSW is still falling short of those standards, isn't it?

STEVE GRIFFIN: GWIC doesn't have a role in enforcing the minimum track standards. GWIC's role is to approve the minimum track standards that are developed by Greyhound Racing NSW, and that was done in 2020. It's Greyhound Racing NSW's remit to then enforce the minimum track standards that it has developed on greyhound racing clubs themselves.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Sure, but those clubs are not compliant, are they, universally? They're still falling quite well short of the minimum track standards.

STEVE GRIFFIN: Those are matters for Greyhound Racing NSW.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Okay, but you know, don't you, that Greyhound Racing NSW has said that they're not meeting those minimum track standards. It's quite well known.

STEVE GRIFFIN: I know that they've acknowledged that there are some tracks that need to be upgraded to meet those minimum track standards.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: That's right, so they're falling below the standards. So you're saying that GWIC has no responsibility over that?

STEVE GRIFFIN: No.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: But Minister, you do, because you approve the licence and the licence conditions for Greyhound Racing NSW. It took us a long time under the previous Minister to get the licence conditions, but we now know that they include a requirement to meet those minimum track standards. What will you be doing to ensure that those minimum track standards are met?

Mr DAVID HARRIS: I've actually very recently had a discussion with the department about how we can assist those venues to do work that's necessary to bring them up to the standard. It was pointed out to me that some of the issues outstanding are of a very minor nature, and very technical, and so hopefully they're pretty easy to fix. Some other ones may need more remediation, so we're actively looking at how we can support clubs to do that.

Ms ABIGAIL BOYD: Is Greyhound Racing NSW suggesting to you that the solution to them not meeting their minimum track standards is to just reduce those track standards and make them easier to meet? Have you had any representations, Mr Griffin, in relation to lowering those minimum track standards from Greyhound Racing NSW?

STEVE GRIFFIN: We've had representation from them about amending the track standards, yes.

Read the full transcript here.

22 February 2024

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Is anyone actually holding Greyhound Racing NSW accountable for its blatant failure to meet minimum track standards?

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