GWIC enquiry comes to Central West to investigate greyhound industry welfare

The GWIC was established in 2018 to promote and protect the welfare of greyhounds, safeguard the integrity of greyhound racing and maintain public confidence in the greyhound racing industry after it was almost shut down by the state government in 2016.

The GWIC headquarters are in Howick Street, Bathurst, and with the majority of NSW greyhound tracks in regional areas, the committee thought it fitting to take its inquiry hearings to the bush.

"It is important for the committee to hear directly from those in regional areas who are part of the racing community, or who have views about the regulation of the greyhound industry at present," committee chairman and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MLC Robert Borsak said on Friday.

"... there's been quite a lot of interaction with breeders, owners, trainers - all those sorts of people in the industry. There's been a lot of issues that they've raised.

"Following stories in the media that the GWIC isn't doing its job effectively, this inquiry was set up to examine it.

"Our terms of reference require us to look at into how well the commission is performing its role."

With areas of concern extending from animal and participant welfare to protocols and procedures, the committee is hearing all points of view.

From individuals in the greyhound industry to animal rights people and the GWIC themselves, the committee has received 76 submissions so far.

"We thought what we would do is have an inquiry with wide-ranging terms of reference to see what is going on and, having done that, make some recommendations in relation to how we think things might be improved," Mr Borsak said.

"We're still going through the processes at the moment of taking evidence, then we'll consider the evidence and we'll put a report together with recommendations.

"I can't say exactly when we'll do that but it will be later this year once we've had a chance to get all the evidence and digest and think about it and then debate it internally.

"We'll then come up with something, hopefully, that will serve the industry well."

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