Tasmanian government releases draft plan for greyhound racing phase-out

The Tasmanian Government has released a draft plan to wind down greyhound racing before the code ends in the state on June 30, 2029.

The Draft Greyhound Racing Transition Plan sets out financial assistance for participants, as well as provisions covering greyhound welfare and rehoming, future integrity functions and oversight of the process. Racing would continue during the staged transition.

The plan remains subject to passage of the Greyhound Racing Legislation Amendments (Phasing Out Reform) Bill 2025. The Bill cleared the House of Assembly in December 2025 but remains before the Legislative Council, with no guarantee it will win majority support after it was previously pulled earlier this year.

“With the Bill before the Parliament, the Draft Transition Plan cannot be finalised until the Bill has been passed,” Racing Minister Roger Jaensch said.

Jaensch said releasing the document would give Legislative Councillors more information and allow stakeholder feedback to shape the final plan.

The draft proposes cutting the number of race meetings by 25 per cent during each racing calendar. One meeting a week would remain after February 2029.

An audit conducted as at March 1 counted 1052 greyhounds in Tasmania’s racing industry, 133 of them already retired. The plan projects about 64 dogs would remain in the racing population when the code closes, while approximately 181 would still need rehoming.

The proposed financial assistance includes graduated payments for trainers and breeders, while owners would be compensated on a per-dog basis. Payment caps have not been determined. Tasmania allocated $4.8 million to the transition in its 2026–27 Budget, with later requirements to be considered through future budget processes.