FY18 Annual Report

Chairman’s Report

Industry confidence returns

Australasian greyhound racing remains on a path to long term success and sustainability thanks to the resilience of its participants, the support of state and national governments and the considerable efforts of its regulators – Greyhounds Australasia’s members.

Significant improvements in major animal welfare, integrity and financial metrics, including the key area of greyhound rehoming, continued to be delivered over the past year.

This time last year, GA and its members were contemplating both the opportunities and the challenges from a very significant reduction in the number of greyhounds bred.  Market confidence had fallen dramatically and managing the commercial risk of under-supply became a real focus.

Over the past financial year, we have seen a significant improvement in the market for greyhound pups resulting in a level of supply that guarantees fields for races when these greyhounds enter racing in one to two years. 

The NSW Parliament’s revocation of the Greyhound Racing Prohibition Act in April 2017 saw an immediate uplift in breeding market confidence in all jurisdictions.  Regulators supported participants who had recognised opportunity for improved returns by keeping race numbers at previous years’ levels so that less well performed greyhounds entered the racing phase and kept racing.  They increased prizemoney in several states and eliminated or reimbursed several breeding related fees.

That market confidence has now translated to the GA Board.  With government mandated reforms complete or nearly complete in Victoria and Queensland, and the NSW Greyhound Integrity and Welfare Commission operational from July 2018, the Board has begun the development of a three year strategic plan that will re-confirm GA’s place in the effective regulation and promotion of greyhound racing and the strategies required to deliver against member, government and public expectations.

Greyhound rehoming continues to grow

The model of breeding more greyhounds than were required for racing has been changing since 2015.  The new requirements of world’s best practice greyhound racing regulation include rehoming all greyhounds capable of being rehomed. 

The gap between the number of greyhounds bred and the number successfully rehomed continues to close.  Over 7,200 greyhounds were rehomed this year (another record), an increase of 67% in four years.  Just over 11,000 greyhounds were bred, a reduction of 39% over the same time. 

The industry agreed this year to work together to meet the challenge of sustaining breeding volume at about current levels nationally so that commercial obligations are met in each jurisdiction while ensuring homes are found for every greyhound capable of being rehomed.

Over 23,000 greyhounds are now living out their lives on the couches of Australian families thanks to the industry focus on full lifecycle management, and rehoming in particular, since 2015.

Of particular note has been the performance of GRV, GRSA and RWWA for their outstanding efforts at rehoming a large majority of the greyhounds that retired in their jurisdictions during the year.  Credit also to GRNSW which has doubled the number of greyhounds rehomed in the past three years to nearly 2,000 this year.  Tasracing and QRIC are both making significant investments in improved rehoming outcomes in the years ahead.

Rehoming success this year can be attributed to several factors.

First, industry culture in several jurisdictions is driven by an expectation that greyhounds are bred not only to race but also to rehome.  This has manifested itself in many more greyhounds being retained by owners and trainers upon retirement.

Second, jurisdictions have orchestrated change through rules and policy that make it very difficult for owners to not make every effort to rehome their greyhound.  These include:

• The requirement of every owner to make at least three genuine attempts to rehome before applying for regulator permission to humanely euthanise their greyhound
• Industry Greyhound Adoption Programs (GAPs) exploring new ways to avoid presentation failures by requesting initial failures follow a GAP assessors’ program of re-socialisation to optimise the chances the greyhound passes one of a possible two follow up presentations
• Regulators insisting on owners and trainers socialising their greyhounds before, during and after their racing careers to optimise their potential as pets
• Regulators covering the cost to rehabilitate greyhounds injured on track that may otherwise have faced the prospect of being put down

 

Third, a number of regulators have partnered non industry adoption groups, sometimes with the provision of funds to cover costs, allowing those groups to rehome more greyhounds.

Regulators deserve significant credit for effectively managing financial and ethical risk concurrently and helping to ensure over-breeding cannot again risk industry sustainability. 

Integrity Performance

One of the most pleasing aspects of recent GA member performance has been the sharp decline in banned and prohibited substances found in greyhounds in all jurisdictions.

This year, 34,568 swabs were taken of which 182 or 0.56% were positive.  This compares with 0.63% positive last year and 0.99% a year earlier.  The significant ongoing improvement came when we increased the number of total swabs taken by 64% over the past three years. 

GA estimates that, this year, close to 1,000 man hours a week were spent by stewards and inspectors in Australia and New Zealand on greyhound participant properties ensuring adherence to integrity and welfare related rules, policies and codes.  This is now business as usual for our code.  Stewards and inspectors use this time to educate participants on their obligations to the industry and advising on standards of care and property maintenance where necessary.

The GA Veterinarians & Analysts Committee is leading discussions on international information sharing and the potential for more harmonisation between national jurisdictions including screening limits for substance analysis as well as greater information sharing on anti doping and medication controls (prohibited substance definitions and rules), therapeutic exemptions, research, participant education and gathering and sharing of intelligence.  This builds on a 2016 Information Sharing Agreement signed between GA and the GBGB that has resulted in the useful sharing of information and resources.

Economic and Social Contribution

This significant shift in the industry’s operating model and the expectations and requirements of its participants has been achieved while keeping our eye on market imperatives. 

The greyhound racing industry continues to deliver strong economic and social dividends.  Our contribution to the Australian and New Zealand economies exceeds $1.1B per annum.  Our industry now employs around 7,000 people directly and supports the employment of tens of thousands of others.  The industry retained its 76 venues which hosted 347,000 starters throughout the year.

Wagering turnover increased in all jurisdictions bar one this year with record turnover in excess of $4.5B and total prizemoney taken home by owners and trainers was $120M – another new record high.

ACT support

GA and its members remain very supportive of the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club which refuses to accept the unfair decision of the ACT government to prohibit participants’ enjoyment of their hobby despite a clean animal welfare and integrity record.

Benefitting from prudent financial management of the company in recent years, I was pleased that the Board agreed to support the Canberra club with a considerable financial contribution from the company’s reserves.  The monies are being directed solely to cover the costs of ongoing litigation against the ACT government.  GA remains very hopeful that a positive outcome can be achieved for the club through the courts.

Meeting other challenges

Despite the success of reform to date, GA and its members note significant work still to be done in ensuring long term success. 

Building safer tracks to significantly reduce injuries is a major industry challenge that must be overcome.  With an evidence based approach to changes in track design and maintenance, regulators are using the outcomes to date from a comprehensive University of Technology Sydney study to make tracks safer.  Commissioned by GRNSW in May 2016 with funding contributions from GRV and GRSA, the study is investigating the contribution to injury of track circumferences, radius’, cambers, starting box positions, surfaces, lure types and finishes amongst others.  The volume and types of injury at different parts of tracks have been identified in what is being considered ground breaking work in the fight to reduce major injuries.

The work has already resulted in a 37% reduction in injuries at Mount Gambier this year, with new elevated, consistent 10% camber around the track bends and an improved transition in and out of each bend.  The study has played an important role in the redesign of tracks in Victoria, Wentworth Park in Sydney and the design of GRSA’s new Murray Bridge track due to open in December 2018.

Participant engagement through strong but respectful interactions on and off track, quality customer service and, increasingly, the provision of appropriately targeted participant education, is becoming very important in driving culture change and attracting new participants.  GRV and GRNSW have provided national education leadership by sharing information on how they are engaging participants on improving greyhound socialisation and preparing greyhounds to race.

A Point of Consumption Tax applied to corporate bookmaker earnings was implemented in all states this year.  GA members helped negotiate the different tax level in each state and the return back to industry in a number of cases.  It is hoped that new funds to the industry can result in further investment in welfare and integrity programs.

GA represented the industry during the development of federally funded programs exploring the limited skill sets and competencies regulators will require to be demonstrated by so called “muscle men” before considering their registration and skill requirements of those responsible for assessing greyhounds presented to industry GAPs, and potentially, regulator rehoming partners.

GA Operations

Prudent financial management bolstered the company’s reserves this year.  Member support to achieve this outcome is greatly appreciated.  Ongoing financial support from the membership will be required in a “new normal” low breeding volume environment.

GA’s core service delivery was exceptional once again this year.  Under-appreciated by some, GA administered over 16,000 individual services on behalf of participants during the year including the approval of 8,356 names; 2,099 FSI Breeding Units were registered; 2,495 FSI Breeding Units were transferred to new owners; 1,671 FSI Services were recorded; 1,311 DNA services were managed; 42 new sires were registered and 129 prefix/suffix/reserved names were approved.

GA’s DNA service delivery was improved this year with DNA kits being made available to the major insemination clinics.  As well, GA’s DNA lab test results are now forwarded instantly to controlling bodies for breeding female registration (pink) cards to be issued in the shortest time possible.  Breeders are benefitting from GA listening to customer and member needs.

The office oversaw vastly improved breeder and vet clinic compliance with requirements that insemination services and breeding unit transfers be notified to GA within 14 days.  This will minimise the risk of pups bred that may not be able to be registered.

GRV, on behalf of GA, led a comprehensive review of the GA Passport Scheme and related export matters during the year.  The Board accepted all 13 recommendations which are designed to strengthen the ability of GA and members to track greyhounds being exported to jurisdictions which have the same or similar animal welfare standards as agreed after a review of those overseas standards in 2014.

The rewrite of the GARs, designed to remove duplication and improve readability, is nearly complete.  The penultimate version is due in late 2018 with the Board expected to approve the final document by June 2019.

During the year, GA amended six national rules to clarify existing rules with the objective of improving greyhound welfare outcomes.  A new national rules’ approval process, characterised by direct participant consultation by GA after in-principle Board approval and early stakeholder engagement was agreed to by the Board during the year.

I was pleased to form a strong relationship with Greyhound Clubs Australia (GCA), the new Australian Greyhound Racing Association, during the year.  A Memorandum of Understanding has been agreed to by our two organisations that ensures GA benefits from the early engagement of the GCA Executive and their members in national rule considerations.

Final thank you

This is my final report as GA Chairman.  It has been a privilege to serve in the role for the past eight and a half years and I have enjoyed it immensely.  I have met and worked with some exceptional people both in the board room and at the track, a number of whom will remain friends for life.

To my fellow Directors over what has been a quite remarkable journey, thank you for your support, encouragement and friendship.  Your preparedness to confront very significant industry issues in a cooperative spirit and collegiate way continues to play a vital role as each jurisdiction reforms and refines its ability to meet the challenges of running greyhound racing in the current environment.

To Craig Taberner and Scott Parker, the two GA CEOs who have performed exceptionally during what might be described as the two distinct eras of my time as Chairman – the pre and post crisis environments – my gratitude and thanks for a job very well done.

To the GA staff, your commitment to quality service remains GA’s backbone and a credit to the industry.  Long may GA’s members see fit to centralise national service provision where it makes sense to do so. 

When I joined GA, the industry was unashamedly a racing one.  I am proud to have played a very small part in its transformation where, today, the welfare of each greyhound is the central consideration in all regulator decision making.  I wish my successor Anne Marie Harrison the very best in helping entrench this in industry culture.

I look forward to watching this great industry prosper in the years ahead – the people that put on the great show that is greyhound racing deserve it.

Russell Ware

Chairman  (July 2017 to June 2018.)