The Tasmanian premier, Jeremy Rockliff, has vowed to end greyhound racing in the state by mid-2029 as he works to shore up support from independents.
The decision comes after a “great” of Tasmanian greyhound racing, Raider’s Guide, was euthanised in late July after falling and breaking its neck at a Launceston track.
The four-year-old dog had been named the Greyhound of the Year in January after notching 17 wins in 2024.
Rockliff said the time had come to make a call on the future of greyhound racing.
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“I can confirm the Tasmanian government will be phasing out greyhound racing by 30 June 2029, to coincide with the end of the current funding deal,” the premier said on social media on Sunday.
“It’s time to draw a line in the sand and ensure an orderly exit from greyhound racing in Tasmania, in line with community expectations.
“We will move to establish a parliamentary committee to oversee the transition and responsibly map out the pathway forward.”
The premier acknowledged the news would be “extremely disappointing” for many in the greyhound industry.
RSPCA Tasmanian commended the Rockliff government’s plan to phase out greyhound racing, labelling it a “relic of the past”, and urged all elected representatives to support the ban.
“Let the death of Raider’s Guide be the catalyst for lasting change, and may this decision mark a new chapter in our community’s progress on animal welfare,” its chief executive, Andrea Dawkins, said in a statement.
Rockliff was reinstalled as premier on Wednesday after the governor granted his request to form a minority government.
Neither his Liberals with 14 seats nor Labor with 10 have secured the required 18 to govern in their own right after a snap election produced another hung parliament.
The Greens, with five seats, and independent Kristie Johnston have advocated for the banning of greyhound racing.
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Rockliff and the Labor opposition leader, Dean Winter, have no formal agreements of support with the 11 minor party MPs and independents.
Veteran economist Saul Eslake recently reviewed the state’s finances, finding greyhound racing in Tasmania was almost entirely dependent on government funding.
At the time his report was published in May, Eslake said the industry would receive $7.5m in state funding in 2024-25 alone.
He said the state was spending more than twice the national average to keep the sport afloat.
The ACT banned greyhound racing in 2018. New South Wales proposed a ban in 2016 before then premier Mike Baird backflipped in the face of an industry backlash.
Last year, a scathing report into greyhound racing in NSW prompted the peak body’s CEO to resign and forced the state government to open an inquiry and threaten to sack the board.
The document, written by the former chief vet of Greyhound Racing NSW, Alex Brittan, alleged widespread animal abuse and persistent reporting and oversight failures.
