Released 28/07/2017
As the ACT Government previously indicated, Transition Support Packages will be offered to people and businesses to help them exit the ACT Greyhound industry.
These packages will include counselling, training opportunities, financial and career guidance as well as interest-free loans, Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay announced today.
ACT employees of the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club will be eligible for Government support. Contractors, businesses, and their employees who provide racing-related services to the club will also be eligible, as well as ACT residents active and registered as breeders or owners of racing greyhounds.
“Greyhound racing is out of line with community values in the ACT and the proposed ban has broad community support. This support includes providing assistance to those affected with $1 million in transition funding made available,” Minister Ramsay said.
“We acknowledge that a small number people and businesses will be impacted and we want them to come forward and take up this support.”
The Government’s Greyhound Industry Transition Taskforce has expanded on the three forms of support recommended in the Durkin report to create Transition Support Packages comprising:
- Counselling – emotional support services for those involved in the industry transition.
- Training/re-skilling – subsidised places in training programs.
- Financial support – short term financial support for those employed full-time within, or can demonstrate significant dependence on, the industry, and where a redundancy payment is not payable.
- Business skills support – subsidised assistance in business planning.
- Career counselling/planning – specialised advice about future career options.
- Financial counselling/planning – specialised advice about future financial options.
- Loans – no interest loans to meet immediate individual needs or micro-credit loans to re-engineer existing small businesses, or support new small business ventures.
“The needs of each applicant will be considered on an individual basis and together we will develop a package that addresses their specific circumstances,” Minister Ramsay said.
“The banning of the greyhound racing industry is an animal welfare initiative. The Government has taken this step to ensure that the documented and acknowledged failures in NSW cannot happen in the ACT. The needs of animals currently involved in racing will also be paramount.
“The safety and welfare of greyhounds in the transition process will be central. We will monitor the rehoming of greyhounds over the next two years and consider support to rehoming groups if capacity issues arise.”
Applications for Greyhound Industry Transition Support Packages will open next month via the Greyhound Industry Transition Taskforce website. In the meantime, all interested parties are encouraged to register for updates from the Taskforce at www.act.gov.au/greyhoundtaskforce.
- Statement ends -
Gordon Ramsay, MLA | Media Releases