Greyhounds Transition Taskforce Coordinator General Dr John Keniry has reassured the greyhound industry that financial assistance will be available as part of the transition package he is developing for government.
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Greyhound racing will be banned from July 1 next year after a Bill passed through state government in the early hours of Wednesday.
As an alliance of organisations involved in the industry vowed to explore every possible opportunity to overturn the ban, information on a raft of measures, including financial assistance, is taking shape.
Dr Keniry said the state government has committed to a raft of measures, which includes financial assistance.
“I have had many conversations with people working directly or indirectly in the greyhound industry since I was appointed by the government last month to guide the industry to a humane and orderly closure,” Dr Keniry said.
“These discussions are an important part of my role to develop a detailed plan and provide advice to the Government on an assistance package that achieves the best way to transition those affected and their greyhounds.”
Dr Keniry said he will visit several regional centres in the near future to discuss the transition packages. No dates or venues have yet been confirmed.
But the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance says the greyhound racing industry is ‘devastated’ by the decision to ban racing in 2017.
Chief executive of the NSW Greyhound Breeders, owners and Trainers’ Association, Brenton Scott, says the alliance will continue to pursue all legal avenues to challenge this ban.
Oxley MP Melinda Pavey told parliament the ban was being debated ‘because of the failed policies of previous governments and because of a failure of leadership within the greyhound industry’.
“Knowing the good families and communities the industry supports, it breaks my heart to see the stress, hardship and uncertainty that they are now facing—hardship they were facing in Oxley under Greyhound Racing NSW's plans regardless of whether this legislation was introduced,” she said.