City of Canning Mayor Patrick Hall is reiterating his call for greyhound racing to be banned in Western Australia.
In light of the recent news that New Zealand is banning greyhound racing due to animal welfare concerns, Mayor Patrick Hall made a Facebook post urging the WA government to take similar action and put a stop to the sport in the state.
Mayor Hall, who was previously CEO of Dogs Refuge Home, believes it is only a matter of time before greyhound racing is outlawed.
“Australia is now one of only seven countries in the world to allow greyhound racing,” he said.
“Surely the writing is on the wall and the time has come for our state government to close the chapter on this practice. It seems like the right time to do so.”
If greyhound racing were to be banned in WA, the Cannington Greyhound Track, located in the City of Canning, would face closure.
There are three professional greyhound racing tracks in WA, one more than the entire United States.
According to Racing WA, greyhound racing remains popular, with around 60,000 people attending meetings annually, and serious injuries to the dogs are rare, with over 99 per cent of starters racing safely.
In response to Mayor Hall’s comments, a spokesperson for Racing WA defended the sport, stating it operates under strict welfare and integrity controls.
“Greyhound racing has important economic, social and community benefits for Western Australia, generating more than $225 million annually and supporting more than 1700 full-time-equivalent jobs,” the spokesperson said.
“Racing WA remains committed to ongoing investments and initiatives to uphold the highest welfare and safety standards for greyhound racing in Western Australia, and the completion of significant works and improvements in recent years at all three greyhound tracks in Western Australia reflects this.”
Following the death of four dogs at the Cannington track within a short period in February last year, Mayor Hall, with the support of the Canning Council, wrote to the Minister for Racing and Gaming, raising concerns about the welfare of greyhounds at the facility.
The track was then temporarily closed in August last year for four months to undergo a $3 million refurbishment, which saw the track resurfaced, new starting boxes installed, the rails and posts upgraded, and the enlargement of the catching pen area.
Mayor Hall believes the City of Canning’s lobbying helped drive these improvements.
“The City of Canning Council’s advocacy for greyhound welfare has had a measurable impact, leading to significant upgrades and safety enhancements at the Cannington racetrack,” he said
“We are pleased to see that the City’s advocacy, along with efforts by other organisations, has contributed to raising safety and welfare standards at the racetrack.”
The recent upgrades follow a much more extensive overhaul in 2015/16 when the Cannington Greyhound Track underwent a significant upgrade and was relocated adjacent to its old site at the Cannington Showgrounds.
The City of Canning said they were not involved in the decision-making process regarding the relocation and upgrade.
Despite RSPCA WA’s opposition to greyhound racing and its view that the industry faces significant ongoing animal welfare issues, Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia defended the sport.
“The industry is committed to animal welfare, and in recent years, our Government has implemented a number of measures to ensure the best standard of care for racing animals,” he said
“This includes a reduction in the number of race meetings, work to enhance the design of the Cannington racetrack and the new Greyhound Recovery Initiative, which gives participants financial support for diagnostic assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.”
