Tasmania's greyhound racing ban closer, some trainers keen on exit scheme
As legislation to ban greyhound racing in Tasmanian remains stalled, a handful of racing participants have expressed interest in joining a compensation scheme to leave the industry.
The Tasmanian government remains committed to passing a legislated ban on greyhound racing, requiring support from two additional independent upper house members. A voluntary exit scheme has garnered interest from some industry participants, who have asked for more information about the compensation offered to leave the sector by the end of the year.
New Racing Minister Roger Jaensch is actively communicating with undecided legislators to secure necessary votes for the ban. With Labor opposing the ban, the government must secure support from at least two other independents, such as Ruth Forrest, Mike Gaffney, or Rosemary Armitage. Since April, the government has deferred debate on the legislation due to its seemingly weak position in the Legislative Council.
The Racing Minister's office has received 13 submissions from participants interested in the voluntary exit scheme, with 765 dogs and 125 registered trainers currently operating in Tasmania's greyhound racing industry. Despite the ban's stalled status, the government continues to pursue the voluntary exit scheme, which includes financial assistance and support for those leaving the industry by year-end.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
