In a move that underscores the precarious balance between animal welfare advancements and economic survival, Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) has announced the engagement of a renowned veterinary expert to spearhead injury prevention initiatives, even as the industry grapples with a sweeping report recommending the closure of numerous racetracks across the state.
This dual narrative highlights the sport’s ongoing evolution, where aspirations for global leadership in greyhound care collide with financial imperatives and fierce regional opposition. At the heart of GRNSW’s welfare push is Associate Professor Helen Davies, a leading specialist in veterinary anatomy with over three decades of experience at the University of Melbourne. Her expertise in athletic injuries among dogs and horses positions her as a key ally in GRNSW’s quest to minimise harm to racing greyhounds, starting with an innovative project involving hock straps.
This announcement comes at a time when the industry is under intense scrutiny, following a Deloitte Australia report that proposes slashing the number of operational tracks from 25 to 15, with potential further reductions to 12. The report, commissioned by GRNSW, aims to streamline operations and bolster financial viability, but it has ignited backlash from rural communities, politicians, and club officials who decry it as a death knell for local traditions and economies.
The juxtaposition of these developments paints a complex picture of an industry in transition. On one hand, GRNSW is investing in cutting-edge research to enhance animal welfare, signalling a commitment to ethical practices amid past criticisms of the sport. On the other hand, the proposed closures threaten to upend livelihoods in regional areas, where greyhound racing serves not just as a sport but as a social and economic anchor.
As submissions flood in from affected clubs ahead of a November 14 deadline, the debate intensifies: Can GRNSW reconcile its welfare ambitions with the harsh realities of sustainability, or will these changes fracture the very communities that sustain the sport?
Elevating Animal Welfare: The Role of Associate Professor Helen Davies.
GRNSW’s engagement of Associate Professor Davies marks a significant step in its self-proclaimed aspiration to become a “world leader in animal welfare.” With a career spanning more than 30 years teaching veterinary anatomy at the University of Melbourne, Davies has built a reputation as an authority on the functional anatomy of athletic animals.
Even after retiring from her full-time role, she maintains an honorary appointment at the university, allowing her to continue publishing research papers that advance understanding in her field. Her primary focus has been on reducing athletic injuries in dogs and horses, particularly through methods that measure physiological responses to exercise. This enables early detection of injury risks, preventing cumulative damage that could lead to breakdowns.
“The reduction of athletic injuries in dogs and horses has been a primary interest of all my research, and especially ways to measure responses to exercise so that injury risk can be understood in time to prevent accumulating damage and breakdown,” Davies explained in a statement released by GRNSW.
Davies’ involvement comes at a pivotal moment for the greyhound racing industry, which has faced global scrutiny over animal welfare concerns. In Australia, the sport has weathered scandals, including a 2015 ban in New South Wales that was later reversed following industry reforms. GRNSW has since implemented measures such as improved rehoming programs, stricter veterinary checks, and investments in track safety.
Engaging Davies builds on this foundation, positioning the organisation as proactive rather than reactive. The inaugural project under Davies’ guidance is the development and testing of hock straps – supportive braces designed to protect and strengthen the hock joint in greyhounds’ hind legs.
The hock, analogous to the human ankle, is a common site for injuries in racing dogs due to the high-impact stresses of sprinting and navigating turns at speeds exceeding 60 kilometres per hour.
According to GRNSW data, hock injuries account for the leading cause of sidelined greyhounds, often resulting in extended recovery periods or premature retirement. Earlier this year, GRNSW initiated investigations into the hock strap’s potential benefits, drawing interest from industry stakeholders at the May Industry Future Summit. Now, with Davies on board, the project advances to a structured observational phase.
“The hock strap development with GRNSW is of great interest to me and I am looking forward to assisting where I can,” Davies said.
“The development and testing of practical ways to identify dogs at risk and possible effects of any interventions (like the hock strap) are essential in understanding what factors drive the accumulation of injury.”
The study will span 8-12 weeks, integrated into routine random checks following greyhound trials. This approach ensures minimal disruption to the dogs’ normal routines, emphasising ethical, non-invasive methods. Data collection will encompass a range of variables: the dog’s age, sex, weight, preferred running distances, musculoskeletal history, and prior use of hock straps. Pre-run observations will assess gait, behaviour, hock appearance, and joint laxity.
During the trial, evaluators will monitor performance metrics such as turn-handling, stride consistency, and any gait irregularities. Post-run assessments will include gait analysis, hock condition checks, and handler feedback. All procedures are passive, relying on visual and behavioural observations rather than invasive testing. This methodology aligns with modern animal welfare standards, prioritising the greyhounds’ well-being while gathering actionable insights.
If the hock strap proves effective, it could represent a breakthrough in injury prevention, potentially ex-tending racing careers and improving overall health outcomes for the animals.
GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Steve Griffin hailed Davies’ involvement as a cornerstone of the organisation’s welfare strategy.
“We are delighted to be able to have Associate Professor Helen Davies work with us on some important upcoming projects, including the hock strap,” Griffin stated.
“We are continually striving to be a world leader in animal welfare, and to have someone with the knowledge, expertise, and experience of Associate Professor Helen Davies is pivotal for our pursuit of injury reduction and safe racing.”
Griffin emphasised the deliberate pace of the project, noting that hasty implementation could undermine welfare goals.
“We cannot thrust something onto the industry and our participants and say: ‘See if this works.’ As with all things, we must conduct diligent investigations to ensure best practice welfare, and we have done that with the introduction of a specialist in this field as the Associate Professor.”
The outcomes of this analysis, expected after the observational period, could pave the way for broader adoption of hock straps, potentially influencing greyhound racing protocols worldwide. This initiative is not isolated; it reflects a broader trend in animal sports toward evidence-based welfare enhancements.
In horse racing, similar braces and monitoring technologies have reduced injury rates, and Davies’s cross-species expertise bridges these disciplines. For greyhound racing, often criticised for its intensity, such advancements could bolster public support and counter calls for bans from animal rights groups.
The Deloitte Report: A Blueprint for Survival or a Recipe for Regional Ruin?
While GRNSW celebrates its welfare strides, the industry faces an existential threat from within: financial unsustainability. The Racetrack Optimisation Report, prepared by Deloitte Australia and commissioned by GRNSW, lays out a stark vision for reform.
Released recently, the report advocates reducing the state’s racetracks from 25 to 15 in the initial phases, with a possible further cut to 12. This “optimisation” is framed as essential for long-term viability, amid declining wagering revenues and mounting operational costs. The report’s genesis traces back to the May Industry Future Summit, where stakeholders unanimously agreed that the current network of tracks was untenable.
“Everyone unanimously agreed at our Industry Future Summit that we have too many racetracks in NSW and we need optimisation,” Griffin reiterated.
“With optimisation, we will be able to lower costs, maximise returns, and ensure clubs become more financially independent.”
Deloitte’s three-stage implementation plan begins with the closure of all remaining non-TAB tracks – Coonamble, Kempsey, Moree, Potts Park, Tamworth, Wauchope, and Young – by the end of 2025. These venues, which do not feature televised betting, could transition to trial tracks if local clubs opt to maintain them.
Lithgow, previously a non-TAB site, will be upgraded and integrated into the streamlined network.
The second stage, targeted for completion by June 30, 2026, targets three TAB tracks: Wagga Wagga, Maitland, and Broken Hill. This follows the recent cessation of racing at Dapto, leaving 15 TAB venues statewide.
A third phase of potential closures would depend on ongoing monitoring of racing demand and financial metrics.
Griffin acknowledged the human cost of these decisions.
“Greyhound Racing NSW has been in contact with all of the clubs which will be impacted by the optimisation recommendations,” he said.
“We have spoken at length about the process and why their respective clubs sit where they are in the optimisation recommendations.”
He described the Deloitte review as a “pragmatic framework for reform,” enabling “accurate and measured evidence-based decisions for the future betterment of greyhound racing in NSW.”
The report’s release coincides with broader industry headwinds. GRNSW’s latest annual report, filed in November 2024, revealed a $16.7 million loss, driven by falling wagering income from TAB and corporate bookmakers. Race Fields Information Use (RFIU) fees plummeted by $4.8 million, while year-on-year wagering on greyhound racing dropped 8%, totalling $2.67 billion in 2023/24. These figures underscore a national trend: the sport’s decline in the Australian Capital Territory, where it was banned, and Tasmania’s planned shutdown in 2029.
Adding to the uncertainty is the impending government decision on extending the lease at Sydney’s Wentworth Park, the industry’s metropolitan hub. The current lease expires in 2027, with a verdict expected by year’s end. GRNSW had anticipated announcing closures post the release of the government-commissioned Drake report into the regulator, but opted to act preemptively on Deloitte’s findings to “control its own destiny.”
The report is now public on the GRNSW website, and affected clubs had until November 14 to submit feedback. This consultation period has become a battle-ground, with regional voices amplifying concerns over job losses, community disruption, and cultural erosion.
Regional Backlash: Voices from the Riverina and Beyond.
Nowhere is the opposition more vocal than in the Riverina region, home to the Wagga Wagga Greyhound Club. Riverina MP Michael McCormack, a staunch advocate for rural interests, unleashed a scathing critique of the proposals.
“People in country Australia are sick of copping it in the neck,” McCormack declared. “And whether it’s greyhounds or whether it’s environmental laws or whatever the case might be, fewer doctors, no funding for roads, people have had a gut full. And woe betide the New South Wales State Government, if it then endorses this ill-thought-out, ill-conceived, stupid report that has been presented to Greyhound New South Wales, suggesting that all of those tracks close, because why should they? Why shouldn’t they have a sport, which in Wagga Wagga has been going for 98 long, successful years?”
McCormack highlighted recent investments at Wagga Wagga, including $200,000 on kenneling and $20,000 on canteen upgrades. He warned of job losses – three full-time employees and a casual – and the broader ripple effects on families and communities.
“This is an outrage, shouldn’t be tolerated, and good luck to the Wagga Greyhound Club to remain open,” he concluded, emphasising the track’s role in entertainment, sport, and local leases.
Echoing this sentiment is Wagga Greyhound Club President Ben Talbot, who has mobilised a “fight mode” response. “We are certainly not going to back down or lay down, and we are in continuous talks with GRNSW,” Talbot asserted.
“We are going to push as hard as we can to try and get this overturned. I’ve told them to stay positive. It was certainly a bit of a low, but it’s gone from disappointment to let’s get into fight mode.
“With the November 14 submission, Talbot’s team crafted a comprehensive case highlighting the closure’s community impact. “We worked very closely with Michael McCormack, Kay Hull, Joe McGirr, Mark Latham and Roy Butler. We had a lot of letters of support have also come through.”
Talbot stressed the club’s contributions beyond racing: support for local businesses, charities, and family-oriented events. “We just want to let GRNSW know how it would affect their business as well, in addition to how much we support the businesses around the Riverina and a lot of charities as well,” he explained.
The outpouring of support has been overwhelming, with strong attendance at recent meetings and calls from across the state.
“There’s also been plenty of support from outside of Wagga as well, my phone has not stopped ringing from people in support of the Wagga club since it was announced.”
Talbot painted a vivid picture of the club’s community role: “They know we are a very family-oriented club here, we have a lot of families come down, and we just had a Halloween meeting, which was a huge success. It’s not just about trainers winning races; it’s about the love of the animal, and people can come down and have a night out at the dogs. They can sit their kids up on the grass knowing that we’ve got games set up for them, they can enjoy a nice meal and a drink, knowing their whole family is safe.”
Similar sentiments ripple through other affected areas like Maitland and Broken Hill, where clubs serve as vital social hubs in isolated regions. The closures could exacerbate rural decline, reducing tourism, employment, and charitable fundraising. Critics argue that Deloitte’s focus on financial metrics overlooks these intangible benefits, potentially alienating the grassroots base that fuels the sport.
– Tully Potts
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