JETSUN

In my humble opinion it appears that Paul Newson's appointment to his now defunct position had nothing to do with saving or reforming the industry but to justify the stance of Baird.
    What bothers me most about the recent publications is our own Board see fit to publish this particular one on our website. Hopefully we could expect a more balanced, supportive and effective response in our won case but if they feel merit in this article it does not give me confidence.
   It was not long ago that I congratulated the board on their foresight and actions and I stand by that but my optimism has been dented.

Have a look at our GRNZ web site and they have a love,ly  piece on Paul Newson, What he says is the Truth ,and all the Trainers in NSW must be liars

I will give you the tip on how to make a small fortune from greyhound racing.......start with a big fortune!!! (It will soon be small!)

I am so very, very grateful to be part of this journey. The dogs keep me going in very difficult times. Love them.

Oh good people, you make me cry. What a way to end the season. We are over the moon, and it will take a long time to come down to earth. Our"Mouse" is a treasure. Our babies have made us so proud. The boys had 2 sisters that didn't make it to the races. One of them is still with us, and we hope to breed from her. We've always believed in the local product. Thank you all again, and when I see you will give you a big hug.
P.S. Have to thank Leo for all his hard work, as I can't do much any more.

Super performance Leo and henny really happy for you guys, give that 11 year old mother a big hug she has produced some quality dogs for you guys 

and they didn't just win they gave the rest of the fields galloping lessons. well done all

What a great day at the races for Modest Mouse and family. Three excellent wins from three excellent dogs.
    It was not that long ago that some one on here laughed at the local bred dogs going around Auckland and where would we be without exports. Well these three NZ bred reared and raced beauties answered that.
         Congratulations once again and all the best Henny & family

And who does that benefit???
The smaller trainers. They wont have to worry about a cap.
What about the bigger kennels.
Less vouchers means no guarantee of covering costs. Which means cash will be spent on fuel and vehicle maintenance.
Means less money to pay employees alike myself 
We are wanting to go forward in this industry and we keep taking a backwards step.
Who would want a career in greyhound racing when no one can afford to employ you?
How are youth meant to buy a property to start a career in the times the country is in today where house prices are through the roof.?
Where is this saving getting put into?
One more group race. Of which only one dog can succeed and one trainer ajd owner combination benefiting?
I think we need to start increasing opportunities to make a living in this sport before its too late to start.

Very sad indeed. Really liked this lady. But that doesn't count for anything anymore. Thank God we're not 20 year olds starting out in the business. 

21 July 2016
 
Dear Participants,
 
When Premier Mike Baird shocked and shattered tens of thousands of greyhound families Australia wide with his unexpected decision to ban our sport and industry in NSW, collectively we were left reeling.
 
The NSW greyhound industry, was in effect, ambushed by the Government. The Government had the benefit of preparing its response with exclusive access to the McHugh Report. It chose to release the McHugh Report and the Premier’s proposal to ban our sport at the one time. In the process, it rendered our industry’s normal leadership body, GRNSW, rudderless and unable to respond to this harsh and poorly considered decision.
 
The NSW GBOTA, the independent greyhound Clubs and major stakeholders have been quick to react to these circumstances.  The initial media onslaught was tackled. A united body was formed, and a steering committee appointed to guide the way forward. The steering committee has NSW GBOTA, independent Clubs and other key players in the industry providing high level strategy. Administration support is being provided by Brad Adam, General Manager of Richmond GRC, Ellen Harris, Operations Manager of the NSW GBOTA and myself.  
 
At the current time, all external contractors and advisors have been appointed by the NSW GBOTA under the guidance of the steering committee. Costs, which will be considerable, are currently being met by the NSW GBOTA.
 
The steering committee is however, putting in place a Trust which will enable Clubs and other interested parties to contribute to a fighting fund.
 
The unfairness and gravity of the Government’s position has united all of us and we are now progressing our fight with definite strategy and single purpose. And our message is resonating.
 
Much has been done to ensure we have the best chance of a successful outcome and this letter  describes the steps that have been taken and how together we can best attempt to create a future for our industry.
 
Today is an important turning point. We will be releasing our Rebuttal of the McHugh Report to the Premier outlining why this report is flawed and any decision based on it is improper. The Premier’s intent to ban our industry should not be made based on a flawed Report and an improper process. The dramatic and negative implications for our industry and its total supply chain is only the start. This sets a precedent that impacts other sports, other industries, all local communities, across the broad business sector, including judicial and political systems. It has far reaching implications which we are ensuring become known and considered.
 
Our plan is to appropriately address all these issues in the right and proper way politically, in the public arena and through the courts. You can be assured that every aspect and angle is being considered and managed. And you are being and will be asked to contribute as part of a very integrated and strategic campaign underway now.
 
The most important thing is that we show our absolute unity and that we act according to our strategy which is timed very precisely - first in the lead up to the next sitting of the NSW Parliament and then beyond.
 
Our unity will be reflected in our campaign theme – ‘Racing to a Respected Future’.   You will see in this note to you the new logo that is being used to indicate that the entire industry is acting as one.  One voice-one vision. This symbolises that we are an industry that is reforming, that we have started making significant changes, that we have the ability to change and that we are committed to ensuring a respected future with a zero tolerance position on animal welfare issues.
 
This banner makes it clear that we have formed an alliance of all participants involved in the greyhound racing industry - The NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance. The campaign will explain the position the greyhound industry intends to hold in the future – one where we are aligned with reasonable community expectation and one where participants, our greyhounds and our sport is respected.
 
Our industry reform plan will encourage the Premier and Government to not only consider but quantify our success in meeting the challenges placed on our industry by Commissioner McHugh’s Inquiry.
 
Our Rebuttal of the McHugh Report and the decision of the Premier is based on its flawed findings and construction. There are many elements to our Rebuttal, well supported by our legal Senior Counsel and judicial process, political and media advisors. A key element of this is the absolute denial to all of us in this industry of procedural fairness or natural justice. It also details where the Report is flawed. It further indicates the implications of this decision on the agricultural and agribusinesss sector as a whole, other sports and the broader community - aligned industries that could be threatened in future, as well as the Parliament of NSW.
 
In addition to working on our detailed plan for the future, the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance is undertaking the following:
Our Senior Counsel are working on legal avenues to challenge this flawed Report and process. Our experienced political strategists and communications specialists are helping us reach and influence  politicians who can convince the Premier to give the sport a fair go Our media and campaign specialists are working with the media at every level and you will see coverage in your local communities from next week. That includes engagement with senior investigative journalists to promote the real issues which are likely to make a difference as sensational stories about a ban are considered more deeply.       We will work with you and directly to engage with local communities across NSW, local Chambers of Commerce, NSW Farmers Association, Australian Veterinary Greyhound Association, Country Women’s Associations, Australia’s Workers Union, Australian Hotels Associations, Clubs NSW, local industry groups, service organisations and local charities and clubs to understand the implications and knock on effect of closing down this industry so that they can lend their support.  Over the next 24 hours we will be launching a new look website as part of the campaign which will help keep you and the broader community engaged and informed. We have appointed a specialist social media group to manage professionally our influencer, social and online presence. I can assure you all that we have in place an experienced campaign team that will give us all the best chance for success under these very unfair, unjust and difficult circumstances that we have placed under.
 
Much has been done but there is so much more to do. We are working hard and we seek to work with all who have a stake and interest in our wonderful sport and industry.
 
We will be circulating key messages documents for you with that you can use. We will provide the key points of our Rebuttal and we will provide suggestions as to how you can be involved in respect to garnering support for our campaign over the next few days. We will likely be asking you to engage in a campaign to your local member of parliament. This will take a format. We need your support and engagement, but in a planned and strategic manner.
 
On behalf of all now connected with the NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance, I thank you, for the resolute conviction you are providing regarding our fight and our reform journey. We look forward to ongoing engagement.
 
Yours sincerely,

Brenton Scott
Chief Executive, NSW GBOTA
NSW Greyhound Racing Industry Alliance
  

Comments like that will lead to the downfall of the greyhound industry.
'wastage', the term they have coined in the NSW report is the main reason why the greyhound industry has been shut down in that state and from what I can tell, the thouroubred code over in Australia have already started trying to get a grasp on this before the antis go after them aswel, there is no point in pointing the finger at the other codes like that when we are the ones being scrutinized
At the end of the day, it does not matter what you or I or most people discussing this topic think in this forum, it is how the public perceive this problem in our industry that will lead to either our industries success or failure in the future and if we are not prepared for when that time comes (which will be rather soon after the whole NSW fiasco) and our industry does not live up to 21st century standards, than its bye bye to greyhound racing in NZ
 
 
 
 
 

Thought you might have been interested in this article from the Daily Telegraph in NSW yesterday. Pretty apt summation of how things are.
Why banning greyhound racing hurts us all

Here we go. Yet another kneejerk “compassionate” response to a campaign by animal activists, as prosecuted by the ABC.

The NSW government’s decision to ban the doggies strikes at the very heart of the average, working Australian man. (Pic: Jay Town)
This time it’s the greyhound industry in NSW for the chopping block. With the authoritarian elitism that the modern Liberal party is making its hallmark, Premier Mike Baird has written off the livelihood and lifestyle of thousands of greyhound trainers, owners and breeders who love their dogs and take good care of them, not to mention the people who work at race tracks and pubs and dog food suppliers; and all the greyhound aficionados who go to watch the doggies and bet over $1billion every year.”

It’s hard to fathom the arrogance of squeamish city dwellers killing off a quintessentially Australian pastime they don’t understand.

The decision is driven by the sensibilities of vegan GetUp! activists, with nose piercings and psychological hangups, who loathe the culture that greyhounds represent – of male battlers in regional Australia hanging onto their dignity, whose main social interaction is a night at the doggies.

These men have been kicked in the teeth and marginalised by societal changes and “innovation”, which means job losses where they come from. They don’t have the choice in leisure pursuits available to the harbourside mansions set.

Baird and his cabinet signed the industry’s death warrant to signal their virtue. They thought they could get away with it because greyhound people are poor and powerless.


With his decision to ban greyhound racing, the NSW Premier Mike Baird has trashed the livelihoods of many. (Pic: Peter Lorimer)
‘This strikes at the very heart of the working man,” says Katrina Hodgkinson, from Cootamundra, one of four Nationals MP opposing their government’s shock decision.

“You can be as poor as a church mouse - and most country guys are – and you can still afford your own dog or become a partner in a syndicate.

“It’s a social network, the one activity to go to the local track on race night and catch up with people. It’s such a harmless activity but so important for a lot of guys who wouldn’t otherwise get a lot of socialising done. It keeps them sane.”

At the track they are somebody, like greyhound breeder Rob Ingram, owner of Sheara’s Mate, a giveaway dog who won 14 races at Wentworth Park and got him a write-up in the local paper.

“My dogs are my life,” says Ingram, who has fifty dogs on 100 acres at Tomingley, a tiny town of 330 people between Parkes and Dubbo.

He talks about his dogs like children. Old Mate Archie won $50,000 in prize money this year and kept his Windy Rest kennels afloat. Scooter, who wasn’t interested in racing, now has a “life on the lounge” with a woman called Natalie who adopted him through the Greyhounds as Pets organisation.


The flow on effects of the upcoming ban are a cause of great concern — particularly for the future of the thousands of dogs in the racing industry. (Pic: Vince Caligiuri/Getty)
For men like Ingram, greyhounds provide a place in a community with a purpose, where they feel valued.

And all of it has been casually trashed by the Premier.

Whether or not you’ve ever laid eyes on a greyhound, such interventionist government by Facebook fiat concerns us all.

It is a direct intrusion into the private sphere of human flourishing, as described by philosophers from Burke to Kirk. It’s not just the arbitrary eradication of an industry, but the destruction of a human community of friendships and community groups, social interactions passed down through generations, which can’t be replaced by compensation or “industry assistance”.

These are the pre-political institutions meant to be outside of government control, which are the glue that keeps society together. They are the local “little platoons” which make up a healthy society, and give people social identities which build together into a cohesive nation.

The government cites vaguely sourced statistics about dog “wastage” from a 13-month commission of inquiry that was dominated by the well-organised voice of animal activists but which rebuffed input from greyhound experts such as this newspaper’s own esteemed former greyhound writer Jeff Collison.

“I did not hear of anyone appearing at the judicial inquiry who had anything positive to say about the sport,” he says. “It seems the inquiry only heard from animal rights activists and their ilk.”


NSW Premier Mike Baird thought he could get away with the ban because greyhound people are poor and powerless. (Pic: AAP Image/Andi Yu)
The commission found the practice of “live-baiting” – training dogs to chase live rabbits or possums – was used by 20 per cent of trainers.

But why should the law-abiding 80 per cent be punished, asks Tony Glackin, President of the Dapto Greyhound Club, where Thursday night race meetings have been the heart and soul of the town for 80 years.

He accepts there are bad apples, as in any sport. “[Baird] said we can’t be reformed but we have to give it a try. We’ve already made massive strides.”

In the name of compassion the Premier has signed the death warrant of at least 10,000 dogs.

Retired dogs re-housed by the industry through Greyhounds as Pets can’t find enough homes as it is.

We’ll have a repeat of the slaughter in London when dog carting was abolished in the 1840s. In the first year the bloated bodies of 150,0000 dogs choked the Thames River.

NSW is only the beginning. The greyhound industry is under threat in every state and Animals Australia, the RSPCA and the ABC will keep hammering away until they destroy it.

The upshot will be a sea of dead dogs, and devastated humans.

And then the empowered animal activists will move on to their next targets – horse racing, then farm animals, then who knows what. They will not stop until we’re all vegan ciphers.
 

Now now boys. I'm With John on this one. The.last thing we.need here is an influx of aus greyhounds. I wouldn't put it past the NSW govt To even subsidiise.it so they don't. Look so bad when the mass slaughter happens..get rid.of as many as they.can.. someone else's problem.

Gary sometimes it pays to say nothing at all rather than put the issue beyond all doubt.

How is it that chch on a Thursday night high grade meeting can't combine C4/5 520 mtr race ? 3 C3 sprints 3 C4 sprints 
7 noms received by the club for a straight open class middle distance race yet they are incapable of making up a top grade race !! Seriously what a joke !

Its that time of year again.
I am led to believe that the RIU are submitting remits for the greyhound code?
If this is true how can this be allowed as I thought clubs and the board would only be allowed as the RIU is not affiliated with GRNZ or have I missed something?
Surely the RIU are there to enforce the rules not help to make them,or is this just a further case of racing giving more power to them?
As for the 'gear" thing,that is just a joke and the clubs need to get rid of it.I am a punter and have spoken to many punters and they DONT take any notice of gear on dogs as a possible performance enhancer.Tape and strapping is used as a precautionary measure in my opinion or to give stability to old injuries.
AC

Well should do it quieter.

scooby, I believe this is a valid question. The race in question at Auckland, race 11 won by the 2nd reserve Subic Bay, trained by Lisa Ahern, gained a start after three dogs were scratched. No.1 Ritza Roman trainer Matt Roberts, and No.s 3 Thunderation and 9 (1st reserve) Wild Effective, both trained by Lisa Ahern. In the stipes report for the meeting it states that No.1 received a 10 day stand down but now mention of any reason or penalty for the scratching of Thunderation. The 9 dog is allowed to be withdrawn under the 100km rule without penalty. Yes this does not provide "proof" but certainly provides substance to many "questions".

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/wanganui-chronicle/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503424&objectid=11643647

Who Knows told me, we should try another trainer, as our dogs were too good to be with us.
If I were Mr. Scooby I would put him/her on notice, as we do need more positive posts.
Talking about celebrating, my "Mouse" managed to produce 100 wins from her offspring. Very, very proud of her.  

Bit over the top isn't it Scooby? How can you be sued when Charles has not named names. We all know there are cheats but none of us can prove it. What Charles is doing is pointing out some of the shady shit that goes on in this sport that we are already aware of. Surely we can state our opinions on here without the threat of being chucked off. Whatever happened to freedom of speech?

Rather insulting to all those racing.  Do you know every single dog racing?  Do you know who is potentially injured or in season at the moment?  Do you know the entire breeding plans of every trainer, what litters they have on the ground? How they are breaking in, how far away they are from racing? Moreso, do you know their entire racing plans, what races the trainer aims to win, what series they want to enter and which ones they don't? Of the trainers you mentioned only one had a runner in these heats and deservedly won, but how can you compare the others when they didn't even have a dog running in these heats?
As someone mentioned earlier - a snapshot of a moment in time.  Things change - fast.  People make racing choices for whatever reason for their dogs - that doesn't mean the entire future is in wreck and ruin.
Do you also realise the impact reading your comments may have for the owners and trainers of the dogs?  You have clearly labelled every single runner as below par and to give up.  These people are the lifeblood of our industry. For you to belittle their input so easily and halfheartedly is unfair.  We should be thankful they are here without them all of us may not be here at all.  Not every heat, not every race is going to be representative of what is on offer at the moment and certainly every race does not have a worldbeater - not every dog can be.  That is why we stand and applaud those who stand out during a season.
Congratulations to everyone involved with every single runner in those heats - for being there and supporting our sport - stand tall and proud.  All the very best to those in the final.  I for one will sing your praises. 
Sometimes it's not an easy road, but the road gets somewhat more difficult when you have to deal with square wheels. 
 

Its a shame that people aren't made to give their names when registering and it be put on their profile.I think that would cut out a lot of the negativity and snide remarks.
My parents taught me if you cant say something and stand up for what you said don't say it at all.Too many people hiding behind non de plumes.
AC

Initially i thought id refrain from posting on this topic as I have bred and have a share in one of those awful dogs running around in the heats, but in the end i couldnt help myself.
Our awful dog has won over $36,000, not a bad effort I would have thought for a dog that hasnt won a c5 race or been placed in a group race. In your opinion she is awful, thats ok, she doesnt care, she probably doesnt think very highly of you. 
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and as the saying goes opinions are like ars....s,  clearly yours is bigger than most.
 The quality of the NZRS races in the lowest grade usually comes down to timing, the reason for this is any dog with ability gets out of c0-c1 pretty quickly, particulary now given the additional racing opportunities that exist. If you took the time to talk to some of the breeders out there in the north you would realise that a few of them for one reason or another have had some poor producing years and as such have few young dogs coming through.
The race series is simply a snapshot of that grade nz bred right now, in 3 months it will be different, in 6 months it will be different again.