With New South Wales’ greyhound racing ban likely to take effect in July next year, there has been renewed speculation over the Cronulla Park greyhound race track in Logan, which was canned in the wake of the live baiting scandal.
But Racing Minister Grace Grace said there were no plans for public funding of standalone greyhound racing tracks.
"Any new racing infrastructure is a matter for the Racing Queensland board,” she said.
"Our focus remains on implementing the recommendations of our own inquiry and remaining vigilant on animal welfare and integrity in greyhound racing.”
Greyhound trainer Jeff Jones of Waterford West said Minister Baird’s announcement that greyhound racing in NSW is to be banned - subject to a vote in parliament – was bad news for thousands of dogs and people who had built their livelihoods around greyhound racing, but was likely to significantly boost the industry in Queensland, with Capalaba, Ipswich and Albion Park set to be the biggest winners.
After meeting with greyhound industry representatives to discuss the future of greyhound racing in Queensland, Minister Grace said the Queensland Government would not be following the New South Wales ban.
An announcement which has disappointed the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds and Animal Liberation Queensland, who have been calling for the closure of the industry for years, citing entrenched animal welfare problems inherent in the greyhound racing industry, including high wastage and high euthanasia rates.
Veronica Lim of the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds said Animal Liberation Queensland volunteers have been monitoring the race-day stewards reports from all Queensland tracks for the last two years and found that in the first six months of 2016, 30 dogs were euthanised at the track following injuries sustained while racing.
“In 2015, 46 dogs were killed at the track,” she said.
“Animal cruelty, mass greyhound killings and live baiting are systemic to the sport, and when you consider that more than three quarters of the industry in Queensland is hobby based, that’s even more reason to shut it down.”
Queensland Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association president Brenton Wilson said 75 to 80 per cent of participants are hobbyists and didn’t make any money out of greyhound racing.
“So if thousands of dogs are being put down for a hobby, can we really stand by and say it’s ok,” Ms Lim said.
Mr Wilson rejects the figures put forward by Animal Liberation Queensland as to the level of dogs not making the racetrack and being euthanized.
“These figures fail to account for the thousands we retain ourselves and the further thousands that are made available for adoption through both industry and private rehoming agencies,” he said.