Tasmania to ban Greyhound Racing by 2029

[Chief Stipe]

Racing Industry

Dogs' days numbered - Tasmanian government to pull rug out from greyhound racing

https://bitofayarn.com

By Bren O'Brien - August 09, 2025

Tasmania’s greyhound industry is set to fall victim to the state’s political crisis, with the Liberal government's backing for the sport to be withdrawn by 2029.

Tasmanian Racing Minister Jane Howlett. (Photo: Linkedin)

Reports emerged from several sources on Saturday that Premier Jeremy Rockliff had agreed to cut funding for the sport at the end of the current funding deed in order to secure the crossbench support to effectively govern the state.https://bitofayarn.com

Rockliff’s Liberal Party only have 14 of the 35 lower house seats, leaving it well short of a majority and needs to enlist the ongoing support of crossbench members in order to continue in power.

Several crossbenchers, as well as The Greens, which hold five lower house seats, campaigned on ending greyhound racing in Tasmania ahead of last month’s state election.

The withdrawal of support from the government, which contributes around $7.5 million through the funding deed which emanated from the sale of the Tasmanian Tote in 2009, is a virtual death knell for the code.

There are around 150 greyhound meetings held in Tasmania every year across two tracks, Hobart and Launceston, with over 1500 races, which generate $270 million in turnover. That is around 37.5 per cent of the annual turnover across all three codes.

A loss of greyhound racing would have a significant impact on the $25 million in racing revenue Tasracing currently derives, primarily via wagering fees, as well as the $7.1 million it receives via the Point Of Consumption Tax agreement from the government.

Animal welfare advocacy groups, seeking a greyhound racing ban, commissioned studies which have attacked the funding of the sport and questioned the economic benefit of the industry. The code has also had a spate of integrity issues, as well as the recent death of champion greyhound Raider’s Guide.

Deed of uncertainty - Racing’s funding future under Tasmanian election spotlight

Tasracing has maintained that the code contributes $54 million to the state’s economy.

But its attempts to counter the political movement to ban greyhound racing appears to have run afoul of the fickle nature of state politics.

While it has not been confirmed that the sport will be banned, as it has been in the ACT and will be in New Zealand, the withdrawal of the proceeds of the funding deed will make it almost impossible to continue past 2029.

Neither Tasracing or the Tasmanian government has yet commented or made a formal announcement.

[the galah]

i see the dapto(nsw) dogs are coming to an end within the next year after the agricultural and horticultural society who own the land and lease it out to the dapto greyhound club,have not renenwed the lease.

it was always a track that i wanted to visit one day if i got to australia,as it seemed people got so close to the action,going by what you saw on tv. Obviously that ain't going to happen .

i wonder whats in the drake report into nsw greyhounds.

obviously there's going to be a lot of negatives come out in that report,but they seem to be keeping it all under wraps and haven't made it public.Anti greyhound groups already vocally calling for it to be mad public. Seems the industry there fortunately has governamnet support anyway.

Edited 54 minutes ago by the galah