Greyhound industry on the same page for race injury reduction strategy

Greyhound racing bodies in NSW have come together in Bathurst for the first Race Injury Reduction Summit, to collaborate on the development of an injury reduction action plan which can be implemented across the industry for the benefit of racing greyhounds.

The Summit heard from industry experts from jurisdictions including NSW, Victoria and New Zealand.

Chief Commissioner of the Greyhound Welfare & Integrity Commission, Alby Taylor, said, “The summit has been valuable in sharing information between key industry groups and getting the right people in the room to pool their knowledge and experience with the aim of further improving the welfare of racing greyhounds.”

“These past two days have been a great success, and seen the industry commit to a Race Injury Reduction Plan that has been collectively agreed upon by all industry representatives at the summit,” Commissioner Taylor said.

The action plan includes:

Pilots of double arm lures and preferential box draws.
A pilot of GWIC Veterinarians attending trials.
Education for trainers in relation to injury prevention and treatment.
New procedure of clearance to return to racing following long layoff due to injury; and
Research into other race injury causations.

Chief Executive Officer of the Greyhound Owners Breeders and Trainers Association, Allan Hilzinger, said, “The action plan has been based upon evidence provided by UTS and other jurisdictions regarding trials and strategies that have been proven to reduce serious racing injuries.”

“All key industry bodies will now consult with industry in relation to the action plan prior to it being finalised in the next month,” Mr Hilzinger said.

Greyhound Racing NSW’s Chief Executive Officer, Rob Macaulay, said “The summit has delivered on a number of actions that will support the upcoming work of GRNSW, which focuses on the safety of racing.”

“The implementation of race injury reduction measures contained within the action plan are in addition to GRNSW’s plan to upgrade many tracks across the State over the next 12 months.”

President of Greyhound Clubs NSW, Shayne Stiff, also attended the summit and said, “The industry is focused on continually improving for the prosperity of the sport, and any plan that prioritises the safety of greyhounds will only benefit the industry.”