Source: Radio New Zealand
Greyhound dogs racing on a sand track. (File photo) 123rf
Racing Minister Winston Peters is welcoming the passing of legislation which will end greyhound racing in August.
The Racing Industry Amendment passed its third and final reading with “overwhelming” cross-party support, Peters said.
“This action wasn’t taken lightly, but independent reviews in 2013, 2017 and 2021 provided clear evidence of serious animal welfare concerns.
“While improvements were made, those gains plateaued and injury/death rates remained unacceptably high to the point the sport had lost its social licence. Action had to be taken,” Peters said.
A transition agency had been set up to help with transitioning the dogs once the racing ends in August.
“The passing of this Bill enables the establishment of a transition agency to oversee the wind‑down of racing and the rehoming of dogs, and we are now moving into the formal setup phase.”
The transition agency would be headed by the current members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on greyhound racing, Heather Simpson (chairperson), Murray Johnson and Dr Lindsay Burton, with a fourth member to be appointed later.
Key elements of the transition agency’s work included:
- Assistance for greyhound owners, to ensure dogs receive a high standard of care while awaiting rehoming, including housing, training and behavioural support for the dogs.
- Partnerships with existing rehoming agencies, with practical support in place to expand their rehoming capacity and the number of dogs adopted.
- Retraining and redeployment support for industry workers, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, to help affected workers move into new jobs.
- Mental health and wellbeing support services for people whose daily lives have been closely tied to greyhound racing.
Peters said the people involved in greyhound racing and the dogs would not be abandoned during the closure.
“This Bill underpins a structured transition, with funding, agencies, and support mechanisms in place. We are not walking away from our responsibilities; we are meeting them head on.”
The ban on greyhound racing would take effect from 1 August, allowing time for a responsible and carefully managed transition.
“This is a good day for greyhounds,” Peters said.
“It’s a rare moment when Parliament speaks with such a strong majority, principled voice. Those moments matter, and this is one of them.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
