After extensive consultation, and following the recommendations of both an independent report from Deloitte Australia, and that of the Drake Inquiry, the next phase of optimisation in the NSW greyhound industry will commence on June 30, 2026.
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) is confirming today that in this second stage of Racing Footprint Optimisation, the racetracks at Muswellbrook and Broken Hill, will cease operation on June 30.
The closure of the Wagga Wagga Greyhound Racing Club will not occur on June 30 as recommended by the Deloitte report but rather following the completion of the upgrading of the Temora track which is scheduled for completion late 2026 or early 2027.
Optimisation was announced as a key part of the Industry Future Blueprint following discussion at a whole industry Summit held in May last year where the decision to rationalise the number of racetracks was unanimously agreed to by key stakeholders and trainers.
The optimal footprint is based on supporting the current number of race meetings held across the State, ensuring that regions continue to have a track to support the demand in that region, and optimisation will allow the industry to have lower costs and maximise returns and profits to participants and clubs.
Acting Commissioner Lea Drake in her Inquiry report stated: “the number of tracks remaining open should not exceed 14,” and GRNSW should set and implement its track rationalisation strategy with reference to three primary factors: (1) serious injury rates, (2) the level of compliance with the Minimum Track Standards (MTS), and (3) the regional spread of tracks.
Deloitte provided its report to GRNSW in September and in summary recommended that GRNSW implement three tranches of club closures over the next two years thereby reducing the industry’s footprint to 12 tracks across NSW, while without reducing the total number of racing slots or the distribution of prizemoney to participants.
GRNSW has already stated that regardless of the reduction of tracks, the number of race meetings will remain the same, if not more, each year in NSW.
Tranche one of Optimisation saw all NSW non-TAB racetracks - Coonamble, Kempsey, Moree, Potts Park, Tamworth, Wauchope, and Young - close by the end of 2025. There remains an opportunity for each to make a submission to GRNSW to become a trial track if desired.
Deloitte recommended that stage two would see Wagga, Broken Hill and Maitland close, but after further investigation, and an evaluation of the cost of works required to bring Muswellbrook – scheduled for potential closure in tranche three - up to MTS, GRNSW’s Board decided to expedite the closure of Muswellbrook, and retain Maitland.
“Of course it’s a difficult time for the clubs which are impacted by these decisions, but it was a decision based on criteria which was formulated and unanimously agreed upon by all parties including GCNSW, at the Industry Summit last May,” Greyhound Clubs NSW (GCNSW) President Shayne Stiff said.
“That’s important here. This was not my decision or Steve Griffin’s (GRNSW CEO) decision, it was an industry decision for the betterment of the industry following the recommendations of Deloitte and the Drake Inquiry that will result in sustainability and viability of the industry.
“The industry needs optimisation. We cannot continue to support the number of clubs we have. We cannot afford as an industry to upgrade every track we have had to Minimum Track Standards and one of the recommendations of the Drake Inquiry was that if GRNSW failed to implement a track rationalisation strategy involving the implementation of MTS, then racing should be suspended at all tracks.
“GCNSW recognises the importance of ensuring that the club footprint has optimal track standards ensuring the ongoing viability of the sport.
““If we want the industry to be around for another 10, 20 or 50 years, optimisation had to done now.”
GRNSW received substantial feedback from stakeholders, regarding the proposed closure of Maitland on the basis it would leave the Hunter region without a one turn track which would be detrimental to trainers and the welfare of greyhounds in that region.
In conjunction with this, although Muswellbrook scored highly as a result of the asset being owned and recent significant investment into racing infrastructure, the track requires further investment to upgrade from grass to loam, install lighting, ensure appropriate water resources and bring the track up to the MTS standard. As a result, the GRNSW Board decided that Muswellbrook would be brought forward from Tranche three to Tranche two.
The Muswellbrook track is owned by GRNSW and will be utilised by the industry as a Greyhounds As Pets (GAP) facility representing an essential component of the GRNSW welfare program in a perfect location in the lower Hunter region.
“The GBOTA (Greyhound Breeders, Owners & Trainers Association) is pleased that the GRNSW Board has decided to retain the Maitland track under the latest stage of optimisation,” GBOTA chairman Geoff Rose said. “We presented our submission and reasoning why we believed Maitland should remain a part of the racing footprint, and felt we presented a compelling case.
“Now that the future of Maitland has been confirmed, the GBOTA will work on making significant improvements to the track and facility and ensure the people of the Hunter have one of the best and safest facilities to race at.
“We naturally feel for those clubs whose tracks will close but as everyone at the Summit last year agreed, we have too many racetracks, we needed optimisation for the sustainable future of our industry, and we enlisted Deloitte to provide recommendations for optimisation.
“The GBOTA will as always offer its support to members who will be impacted by optimisation.”
GRNSW Chief Executive Officer Steve Griffin said his organisation will remain focused on delivering a racing schedule that maximises the opportunities for the industry and participants.
“You only need to look at our history to know that while making a decision for the industry as a whole, optimisation has been done before, actually following through and putting it into practice has been much more difficult,” he said.
“The numbers don’t lie. For the future of our industry, we needed right-size our racing footprint and firstly the Deloitte report confirmed this, then the Drake Report emphatically said the same, and we shouldn’t forget that after being extensively discussed at the Future Summit in May, it was unanimously agreed that we had too many racetracks to be sustainable.
“I do understand how difficult this will be for those in the affected regions, and nobody wanted it to be them and their track, but we were diligent in the process and let facts and data dictate the decisions made.
“With optimisation we won’t lose any racing in NSW and it will result in GRNSW being able to lower costs and maximise returns and profits to participants and clubs.”
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