Greens win! Newcastle Council recognises the failure of the greyhound racing industry

Today Abigail spoke about the work of Greens Councillors in Newcastle who passed a motion recognising the greyhound racing industry's inability to reform and endorsing a transition plan for Newcastle.

Abigail said:

(1) That this House notes that:

on Tuesday 23 September 2025, Newcastle City Council unanimously passed a Greens motion led by Councillor Siobhan Isherwood recognising the failure of the NSW greyhound racing industry to reform following the infamous Baird’s Backflip, and endorsing a transition plan for the Newcastle community;
Council recognised the danger and cruelty of the greyhound racing industry, and committed to write to the NSW government about the uncertain future of greyhound racing in NSW, the global decline of the industry and the serious ongoing animal welfare concerns at The Gardens track in Newcastle;
Council also recognised that NSW has the highest injury rate in Australasia, and possibly global greyhound racing, as well as the fact that The Gardens track is one of the most dangerous tracks in NSW with over 132 injuries and two deaths in the first six months of 2025 alone;
millions of people worldwide are joining calls to shut down greyhound racing across the globe, with NSW now one of only a few remaining jurisdictions in the world refusing to shut it down; and
more and more communities across NSW are calling for existing greyhound racing tracks to be closed down and repurposed for community use, and for governments to implement a thorough transition plan for communities and workers affected by the inevitable end of the NSW greyhound racing industry.

(2) That this House commends the work of Greens Councillors Siobhan Isherwood, Charlotte McCabe and Joel Pringle for advocating on behalf of their local communities for an end to greyhound racing.

(3) That this House calls on the NSW government to:

shut down greyhound racing in NSW once and for all;
close down all existing race tracks; and
fund a transition plan for affected communities and workers across the state.

14 October 2025

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Greens win! Newcastle Council recognises the failure of the greyhound racing industry

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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