After a protracted battle, a determined group of local residents working to stop TasRacing’s $40million+ NW track has been vindicated by a decision this week of the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal (TASCAT).
We understand that it's much easier now for the chief vet to give an approval for a dog to be euthanised at GAP because it is an imperative of the industry.
We'll get down to some detailed questions over the course of the next couple of hours, but I refer you to a report which I know you're aware of called A Few Bad Apples by Animal Liberation Tasmania.
In November last year, serious complaints were lodged about cruelty in slaughterhouses with your department. The footage is very graphic.
Minister, the report that I provided you this morning - the great work of Animal Liberation Tasmania, the 19 reviews of properties and the evidence of the 748 dogs who have raced this year - contains the story of Zipping Princess. On 10 September 2023, she was offered, for free, by the Williams and McCrickard syndicate owners on Gumtree. She was in a terrible state, in a very, very unwell - was totally distressed - and she was rushed to the vet surgery. Three days later she subsequently died.
Minister, the director's comments at the table just earlier in relation to the matter of a fit and proper person sounded like a licence might be considered to be given to a person who had a criminal record. I think that the words were 'if you have done the time, for the crime', as though that's something that's in the past. Do you think that that would also be case for someone who is charged convicted for crimes under the Animal Welfare Act?
Minister, I want to understand what happens when the new legislation comes into place with the Tasmanian Greyhound Local Rules of Racing. When there's no longer a Director of Racing in the Office of Racing and Integrity, will there no longer be a requirement to rehome greyhounds in the way that it is currently set out in the Local Rules of Racing?
Thanks to the Greens greyhound inquiry in 2015, it is now a requirement that greyhounds exiting the greyhound racing industry must be rehomed.
Minister, currently the Greyhound Local Rules of Racing have it that the Director of Racing, the head of the integrity body ORI, signs off on killing dogs, so-called euthanising. The Greyhound Adoption Program or the head of Tasracing has to apply to ORI to have a greyhound killed. That is the current situation. The new act, which you've talked about a number of times, has, as I understand, responsibility for this decision moving to Tasracing. Can you clarify if that's the case?
Minister, back to the the terrible reality of the conditions that greyhounds that are involved in the racing industry in Tasmania suffer everyday.