Released 25/07/2017
Minister for Racing and Gaming, Mick Gentleman will discuss the state of the Australian greyhound industry with other state and territories Racing Ministers at the Australasian Racing Ministers Conference in Darwin on Friday.
“I will be re-emphasising the ACT Government’s position that there is no future for the greyhound industry in Canberra, and I look forward to discussing our position with other jurisdictions” Minister Gentleman said.
Earlier this month, the ACT Government announced that, following findings from the Special Commission of Inquiry into the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry, it is untenable for the ACT Government to continue allowing, and financially supporting the practice of greyhound racing in the ACT.
“The program of reform in NSW will guide our process to end the practice of greyhound racing in the ACT, but is not the only factor that will be taken into account” Minister Gentleman said.
“The issues being addressed in the ACT are quite different to NSW and other jurisdictions in Australia. We are a relatively small player and most of our participants actually reside in NSW. The ACT Government currently provides assistance to the industry through annual grant funding of over $1 million per annum” Minister Gentleman said.
A Memorandum Of Understanding with the ACT Racing Industry is due to expire on 30 June 2017 and the ACT Government was already developing Terms of Reference for a review into this MoU, prior to these announcements.
“I look forward to working collegiately with my counterparts to achieve a level of understanding with the other Racing Ministers of all other jurisdictions on the ACT Government’s approach to the future of greyhound racing in Canberra”, Minister Gentleman concluded.
- Statement ends -
Mick Gentleman, MLA | Media Releases