Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) Chief Executive Officer Rob Macaulay said the industry had embraced a statewide participant and stakeholder consultation tour and described the opening event in Grafton as a resounding success.
Over the next two months Mr Macaulay and GRNSW Chairman Adam Casselden will travel across NSW to consult and engage with industry participants and stakeholders on the future of the sport.
The touring delegation began on Sunday March 24 at Grafton and will next travel to Goulburn on April 19 with visits to Richmond, Wagga, Dubbo and Tamworth also scheduled.
“This is one of our most important community engagement projects in recent times,” Mr Macaulay said.
“The stakeholders at Grafton were deeply engaged and insightful, and the feedback on all aspects of our sport’s current and future operations has been incredibly helpful.
“Our purpose at these events is to consult and engage with participants and stakeholders on the future of the sport, including all aspects of racing and the many ways our industry transitions retired greyhounds to pet life.
“GRNSW is committed to excellence in every part of track safety, racing and rehoming, and I have a board aligned to drive gold-standard practices and outcomes for our people and greyhounds.”
Mr Macaulay said that he and Mr Casselden had wanted to take the consultation tour deep into the regions to facilitate views from the grassroots participants who are the lifeblood of the sport.
“The backbone of our sport has always been the regional and rural trainers, breeders and owners who are dotted around all corners of a big state.
“It is vitally important that we communicate what GRNSW has been doing, but also to take on board the feedback from people who are living and breathing the sport from sun up to sun down, and they include many hobby trainers, husband and wife teams, as well as bigger trainers and breeders.
“We have seen the emergence of a younger generation and a big increase in female participation over recent years, and it is important for us to connect with as many as possible of the thousands of people who love and support the industry.”
Topics that have been covered so far include investment in regional tracks and communities, grading and scheduling, masters racing for older greyhounds, the competitive landscape of other states, track safety and surfaces, double arm lures and new innovations.
Another topic of interest at Grafton was the US Adoption Program, Aussie Mates in the States, which has been a true success story with more than 650 NSW greyhounds now living in 650 loving American households.
Many of those greyhounds have hailed from the Northern Rivers through GAP’s Regional Program, and Mr Macaulay was delighted that several participants enquired about the pet life their greyhounds are now enjoying.