Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill

In the first person pronoun, we present a legislative statement on the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill.

SPEAKER: The legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the parliamentary website.

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: We move, That the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. We nominate the Primary Production Committee to consider the bill. At the appropriate time, we intend to move that the bill be reported to the House by 13 March 2026.

Since 2021, the greyhound racing industry has been on notice, after three successive reviews over a decade all found animal welfare concerns and a need for change. These concerns clearly put the industry’s social licence to operate under threat, and in December last year, the decision was finally made to close commercial greyhound racing in New Zealand from 1 August 2026.

This decision was not taken lightly. Many MPs are adverse to any business shutting down. It was acknowledged that the industry, in Greyhound Racing New Zealand, had undertaken genuine efforts in recent years to improve animal welfare. However, it was considered that the rate of dogs being seriously injured remained too high, and the improvements made were not significant enough for the industry to retain its social licence.

The decision to close was also taken against the backdrop of greyhound racing declining worldwide. Since December 2024, Wales, Tasmania, and Scotland have all followed suit. It is pleasing to note that Greyhound Racing New Zealand has withdrawn its judicial review against the Government. We encourage members of Greyhound Racing New Zealand and the wider racing community to actively engage in the select committee process and focus on the way forward.

To close our own industry, a carefully managed approach has been undertaken. The approach comprises two bills. The first bill was the Racing Industry (Unlawful Destruction of Specified Greyhounds) Amendment Bill 2024, which unanimously passed all stages of this House on 10 December last year. That bill was to prevent the unnecessary killing of racing dogs as the announcement of an incoming enclosure meant that racing greyhounds became less economically valuable or viable, and I thank members across the House for their unanimous support of that bill.

It was necessary that the first bill was passed under urgency to immediately put in place protections for the greyhounds themselves, and it was undertaken in the knowledge that a second, more substantive bill that would close the industry would follow and allow for public input. That leads us to the second bill, the bill before the House today, the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill. This bill’s primary intent is to close the industry in a way which prioritises greyhound welfare and the wellbeing of greyhound racing participants throughout the closure process.

This bill is based on the recommendations of the Greyhound Racing Ministerial Advisory Committee, which was established to provide expert independent advice on the closure and oversight. The committee, which is comprised of Heather Simpson as chair and Lindsay Burton and Murray Johnson as members, has met and continues to meet with a range of industry bodies and organisations. They’ve also maintained close contact with Greyhound Racing New Zealand. From those meetings, the committee delivered a report at the end of May, with a set of detailed recommendations for the legislative changes needed to close the industry in a measured way. Thank you to the committee for its ongoing hard work and its well-informed report, and thank you to all of those who were engaged with the committee in good faith.

After further consideration, the committee’s report was released in August, alongside the announcement that the Government agreed with the committee’s recommendations and would proceed with a bill that implements those recommendations. The bill sets out the framework for a transition to closure for the industry which prioritises the welfare of greyhounds and is concerned with the smooth transition out of the industry for affected people.

To provide a well-managed closure, this bill comes into effect over three stages. This will ensure a framework for closure is in place before commercial greyhound racing ends on 1 August 2026. It will also allow sufficient time for some subsequent work to wind up the greyhound racing industry, such as ensuring that greyhounds are successfully rehomed over time. The first stage will be from the day after Royal assent and lays down the framework for closure ahead of 1 August 2026. This stage will see the establishment of the transition agency responsible for ensuring that a transition plan relating to Greyhound Racing New Zealand is in place to wind up the industry.

It’s intended that the current members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee would be appointed to the board of the transition agency, and collectively these members hold relevant skills and experience in governance, project management, and animal welfare. These members have built their necessary relationships to continue working with the industry, and it’s in everyone’s best interests that engagement in good faith continues. The agency would be responsible, amongst other things, for ensuring a transition plan is in place, closing Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) and clubs, facilitating greyhound rehoming, and supporting industry participants.

The second stage is from 1 August 2026 and will bring the actual closure of commercial greyhound racing in this country. This stage will see the removal of references to greyhound racing from the Racing Industry Act, so it is no longer permitted. During this stage, Greyhound Racing New Zealand will be dissolved and appropriate remaining functions will be transferred to the agency.

Finally, the third stage will see the repeal of provisions relating to the agency. While the bill anticipates the agency will have completed its function within three years, it allows for some flexibility in timing in case there is still some outstanding work at that time. Hence, the third stage comes into force on a date set by Order in Council, but no later than 31 July 2031. We might possibly still be around to see what’s going on at the time! Once disestablished, any residual assets held by the agency would be distributed to the other racing codes.

This transition to closure needs to be as smooth as possible. Members of the greyhound racing industry, wider stakeholders, and the general public are all encouraged to engage with the select committee process so that this bill and this process is as robust as possible. It should also be noted that, whilst the select committee is undertaking its consideration of the bill, the Ministerial Advisory Committee will continue its work to lay the groundwork for the transition agency. This includes ongoing work with greyhound rehoming organisations to identify what practical steps are desirable to scale up the rehoming effort.

Finally, greyhounds make great companion animals, and we encourage New Zealanders to consider adopting them as the industry is wound up. We will need to find these dogs homes. In conclusion, the bill is commended to the House. Thank you.

Thank you. I call—away you go!

I know that you know that. It’s always a question of which “Rachel B” is it in the House.

It is a pleasure to take a call on the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill as Labour spokesperson for animal welfare. Just noting at the beginning of this short call that Labour will be supporting this bill, and our hope is that this bill will receive unanimous support from across the House.

Can I just begin by acknowledging the Minister and thanking him for his work on this important transition approach to ending greyhound racing in New Zealand. Where we are today is a continuation of work that was begun under the previous Labour Government. Can I begin, as well, by acknowledging our previous racing Ministers Grant Robertson and Kieran McAnulty, both of whom did significant groundwork to address the animal welfare concerns that existed within industry to get us to this point

Just to begin, I just wanted to acknowledge that for many people working in the greyhound industry this decision will have a significant impact on the people who work in this industry—who train dogs, who race dogs—and who have done that for most of their lives; many of whom are part of generational families who have worked in the greyhound industry. This will have an impact on their lives and their livelihoods. Can we acknowledge that for those people, they will need that transition support. We acknowledge in the Labour Party that there is that need for fairness—[Interruption]

SPEAKER: Just a moment. OK, carry on.

RACHEL BOYACK: We acknowledge within the Labour Party that there is that need for fairness and for meaningful support for those involved in the industry who will need to be transitioning into other work, and so we acknowledge that for those people today will be a difficult day in their working careers.

What this bill does is it formally ends commercial greyhound racing in New Zealand by 1 August 2026. As I noted earlier, there have been a number of reviews into greyhound racing. The industry was put on notice. They were told that if things weren’t significantly improved, that the industry was likely to close. I want to acknowledge that there have been some improvements made by industry, but those improvements have not gone far enough. They have not been enough in order to ensure that this industry could continue. The social licence to operate greyhound racing has been lost. I note that in the 2024 to 2025 season there were 17 greyhound deaths, which was an increase on the previous year. Just at the end of October, two greyhounds were killed in Invercargill as a result of spinal injuries due to racing.

As animal welfare spokesperson, I hear from members of the public. The public of New Zealand cannot tolerate this any further. It is clear from reports in the media and from engagement with the people of New Zealand that the social licence for greyhound racing has been lost and people are no longer willing to see dogs perish or be injured as a result of this practice.

What I think will be the most important thing to do, alongside supporting those who’ve worked in this industry, is ensuring that animals are rehomed. What I’m pleased to see as part of the transition plan is that it will continue to do that work alongside organisations like the SPCA, like Greyhounds as Pets, and other organisations to ensure that these dogs can be suitably rehomed. I’ve said in the House before that if I didn’t already own two labradors, I’d probably look at adopting one of these beautiful animals. They are wonderful pets.

They aren’t for every family. Some people would prefer cats—Camilla Belich. So people do need to take a considered view around—like they should anytime they adopt a companion animal, they should do so knowing that they have the ability to care properly for that animal. But can I encourage New Zealanders who are listening to this debate today, who are following this in the media, to seriously consider adopting a greyhound? We will need to see a significant number of New Zealanders over the coming weeks and months adopt a greyhound into their family. They can be, as Kieran McAnulty often points out, exceptionally lazy. Then when they do want to chase something, they can go at a wicked pace, as we sometimes see with his dog, Zoi, down the corridors of Parliament.

So I commend this bill to the House. I thank the Minister for his work in leading this change today. I do encourage New Zealanders to get in behind the rehoming programme. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise today to speak on behalf of the Green Party in support of the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill. This bill is underpinned by an important principle and a strongly held New Zealand cultural value, which is that New Zealanders don’t want to see animals suffer. It’s a simple principle. Whenever there is a survey done, whether it’s in regard to companion animals or farm animals or animals in entertainment, overwhelmingly, we have a strong-held cultural view that animals shouldn’t suffer. They should not be the subject of cruelty. They should not live miserable lives. Unfortunately, in the case of the greyhound industry, there has been years of evidence and facts, in regard to the operation of that industry, that have brought us to the point where it is clear that this is not an industry that has a place in a country that holds to that principle of animals having a good life.

For a long time, the Green Party have called for an end to the greyhound racing industry. I want to acknowledge previous member Mojo Mathers, who, in 2016, presented the first petition by the greyhound protection league calling for a ban on greyhound racing. I want to acknowledge the campaigns that were run in the 2020s. My colleague Chlöe Swarbrick, in 2022, introduced a member’s bill with the help of Save Animals from Exploitation (SAFE) and the Animal Law Association to ban greyhound racing. I adopted that bill on my entry to Parliament in 2023 and only removed that bill from the member’s tin because of the announcement by the Minister that it was the intention of this Government to bring in a ban on greyhound racing. We commend that intention.

I cannot put it any more clearly than how the Minister himself put when he said, “The bottom line is too many dogs continue to die and be seriously injured, and it is time to do the right thing.”. For those people watching to understand the extent of the harm that comes to greyhounds and the extent of that death toll, just to be clear, in the 2023-24 season, there were 145 greyhounds that died or were euthanised. In the 2022-23 season, there was 145, and in the 2021-2022 season, there were 236. These dogs are doing what they are bidden do, which is race, but very often that leads to serious, fatal injuries or injuries that are so irreparable that the dogs must be euthanised. There are very high rates of euthanasia in this industry.

One of our concerns is that dogs will be exported for racing. In April this year, the Goldstar Racing training organisation exported 80 dogs to Australia to continue racing. We’ve made it clear: our expectation is that the legislation should ensure that there is a prohibition on the export of dogs for continued racing. We also note the Minister’s comments that they will be re-homed, not re-racetracked, and we support that principle.

Just to finish, greyhounds are gentle animals, they are loyal dogs, and they do love to run but not, perhaps, as much as they would if they were being raced. We want to see them put into loving, caring homes where they will be free to run of their own volition, not because they are compelled to. They make great companion animals, and we support the call of colleagues across the House that we would love to see New Zealanders step up and take these greyhounds into their homes and rehome them so that they can live out a good life, having been part of this racing industry that is coming to an end, and rightly so. We commend this bill to the House.

I rise in very cautious support of this bill. To speak frankly, this bill is taking away people’s property rights. For the first time in our history, the State is stepping in to takeover and shut down an entire sport. It is the Government deciding that an industry people have built with their own hands, their own money, and their own passion no longer deserves to exist.

I know emotions run hot on this issue, but when feelings are running high, that’s exactly when Parliament needs to keep its head. Behind all the noise, we cannot forget the people whose lives are being upended by this.

When the Labour - New Zealand First - Green Government rushed through their firearms ban, ACT stood with the people affected. We went out and listened, we heard their frustration and their sense of betrayal. Today, this House and its members must do the same for the greyhound community. They deserve to be heard, not shut out and dismissed.

Unlike some, I, alongside ACT MPs, have met the people affected. I went to the races in Christchurch to see the sport in action. I have sat down with Greyhound Racing New Zealand, with owners, trainers, and their families who have poured generations of work and love into this sport. What we have here is heartbreaking. They’ve written letters, they’ve asked for meetings, they’ve begged for a chance to be heard since this was announced, and they have been ignored. These people are not the type of people that some people make them out to be: villains. They are good, hardworking New Zealanders who have done everything the Government has asked of them. They have followed the rules. They have poured millions of dollars into ensuring the safety of these animals during their racing lives, as well as getting them rehomed. They love their greyhounds, and they are now being told that their livelihoods are being taken away, while other people in this community and in this House celebrate.

I keep hearing the argument that greyhound racing has lost its social licence. But I ask: how long until it’s rodeo—or roe-dayo? How long until it’s the horses? If the Government can erase an entire industry because it’s politically convenient, then no one is safe. What we’re saying is that if enough people shout loudly, the State can trample over property rights, over livelihoods, and over communities built through generations. This is not just about racing; it’s about property rights. It’s about fairness. It’s about a group of people, especially in rural New Zealand, who are losing a community.

There are some big questions that the select committee will need to answer. What will happen to the leftover assets built up over decades? What happens to TAB revenue from betting on dog racing outside New Zealand? And what happens to the thousand-odd people who depend on this work to feed their families? When the State takes something as fundamental as private property, it must answer to the people it is taking it from.

My message to every MP and Minister here: go and meet the people this bill affects, look them in the eye, hear their stories. This isn’t about a faceless industry; it’s about families, generations deep, who are now on the verge of losing everything. The people in this industry aren’t responsible for what past Governments or Ministers have done or spent. They deserve respect, understanding, and the basic dignity of being met face to face, and the least that we can do is listen to them. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I understand the point that my colleague from the ACT Party makes. This has been a well-signalled change. Over the last 12 months, I’ve met with people from the industry; I’ve met with those who oppose it; I’ve met with those who rehome dogs like in my electorate in Manakau from the Great Mates team, but also those that work outside of the industry to rehome dogs. I don’t think any of those that I’ve met with would see this being about property; I think this, for them, is about passion. I think it’s about the thing that they love.

What I have found in every person I’ve engaged with is that they are passionate about these wonderful animals. They’re passionate about what they do, and for those in the sport, they’re really passionate about that as well. I do think this is a really significant step that we’re taking. I do accept the argument that the world has moved on, that the social licence right around the world to continue in dog racing has been eroded, and that as much as this is a difficult decision, it is the right step to take at this time.

I also think it’s important to give these people a voice. That’s why I hope and I encourage all of those I’ve met with and those that I haven’t to engage in the select committee process—to have their say. I look forward to reading their submissions and to them having the chance, one last time, to have their say. But I do commend this bill to the House to move to the next stage at select committee.

Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. A privilege to follow on from my colleague Tim Costley. I just want to reiterate a point we haven’t actually so far this afternoon: that New Zealand at the moment is one of only five countries across the world where commercial greyhound racing is still permitted. It’s not an easy decision that the Minister is making but it is the right one, because it’s actually about reflecting our commitment to prioritising animal welfare while providing the industry the time and support that they need to bring about this change. Therefore I commend it to the House.

Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak on this piece of legislation. I want to acknowledge the Minister for Racing for bringing this to the House, and I want to acknowledge the previous members and Ministers that have worked on the piece of legislation up to this point.

I just want to acknowledge some of the issues that Cameron Luxton raised in his speech and I don’t believe that anybody in this House has made out the people that work in this industry to be villains. I don’t believe anyone in the House has said that. In fact, what we have heard in this House and what this piece of legislation does is acknowledges that there are people who will be impacted by this decision, as the member who spoke previously said, that have perhaps been in this industry for generations. It is important that we do acknowledge that and acknowledge that it’s not easy for anybody to be losing their job, and particularly in this day and age.

So, again, nobody has accused these people of being villains but what we have said is that the industry has basically been on notice since 2021 and there have been constant calls for improvement in the industry. Sadly, for whatever reason, it hasn’t happened as it should have. What we know is that New Zealand is a country that prides itself on its animal welfare standards, and what we see with this industry is that there is a really high risk of injury and death for these dogs when they race: broken legs, fractured skulls, spinal injuries, heart attack, and heat stroke.

After an injury, they are simply euthanised because they are no longer deemed to be profitable for those who wish to race them. In fact, according to SAFE, since December of last year and as of 9 November 2025, 645 greyhounds have been injured, 93 have suffered fractures, and 17 have died. So this decision is the right decision and I am proud to be standing here as a member of the Labour Party that supports this piece of legislation. Greyhounds are gentle, social animals and if anyone has met Zoi, the Hon Kieran McAnulty’s dog, we can all attest to that. They might not be the smartest and they may not be the prettiest, but they are—Kieran, don’t judge me—but they are certainly social, they are loyal, and they are absolutely lovely animals.

It’s interesting to note, as the Minister in his opening speech mentioned, there are several other countries who have followed suit since, since the Government announced that this was going to be happening. As the Minister mentioned, this is going to be a staged approach to the shutdown of this industry, and that is important because it does speak to the people who are involved in the industry, as far as jobs go. Re-homing—and as my colleague Rachel Boyack mentioned, I do urge people or encourage people to look at adopting one of these greyhounds in order to ensure that they are sent to loving homes around the country.

There were three options, I think, that were put before the Government with regard to this piece of legislation. One being that they stick with the status quo, no changes. Well, that’s not acceptable to anyone, I don’t think. Option 2—industry continuation with increased oversight and regulation. But there were some concerns that outcomes and enforcement of animal welfare—that it actually wouldn’t happen appropriately, that it would only make slightly better improvements. Option 3, that would have the most positive impact for animal welfare, was to work through the closing down of this sector in a transitional way.

So I am pleased to be able to support this piece of legislation whilst acknowledging those that are going to be impacted by this and working with them; urge them to submit. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to support this bill. I have to say that the decision was not taken lightly. It follows three independent reviews that were done about the industry back in 2013, 2017, and 2021, and it is for the welfare of the greyhounds. I commend the bill to the House.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise to take a call on this bill and am very pleased to be able to take a call because Labour supports this bill. We’ve heard other speakers talk about the welfare of greyhounds and I want to thank the Minister for his opening comments. I think it’s really important in this day and age, as members in the House, that we try to achieve a balanced argument. What is important is that we’ve heard more and more concerns from animal welfare supporters as to why, over time, with the reviews and all the work that has continued, as the Minister pointed out, that it is an important issue about animal welfare. New Zealanders want to come to a point where the industry has worked on trying to get better outcomes for the greyhounds, but we’ve seen and we’ve heard the injuries cannot be sustained. So it is important that the Minister has undergone, with appointing the ministerial advisory committee that has been set up, through a process and looked at the best options with Greyhound Racing New Zealand.

I do want to point out—and I’ve heard other colleagues from across the House talk about it—the other side of the argument for those who have invested time and money and their careers to do with greyhound racing. We’ve heard that the wellbeing of the industry specifically for these animals—and we’re quite lucky because, like my colleague Jo Luxton pointed out, we’ve got Kieran McAnulty’s greyhound, in terms of the approach that he had taken to adopt one of these animals.

The bill ensures the framework in closing the industry, with the set date of 1 August, and that will have the upside and the downside. The downside will be for those who are affected by the closure of the industry. In particular, we’ve heard that those who’ve been in industry for quite a long time are affected. One of the things that they’re asking about is: is there compensation? Is there going to be a transition period? Are their concerns going to be heard?

Again, I go back to the earlier a point that I mentioned around compensation, but also around a balanced argument. Well, it’s probably from their perspective that it’s going to be an unbalanced time for them, specifically for those who have been in the industry for such a long time. They wanted to have their day in court. They wanted to be heard about their concerns about their investment of time, and they don’t agree, because for their livelihoods this has a significant impact and is a significant step for the industry.

I do want to raise that through the transitional period there needs to be meaningful support, compassion, and also fairness for those who have worked in the industry: the trainers, the communities, and those who supported the activity. However, we’ve come to a point now where we, in Labour, are supporting the decision, as we’ve heard the Minister announce in this bill. It will have a major impact. I know we will have a committee stage in this process after the select committee process, but specifically, my plea is that the transitional authority that will be appointed to do that role, with the cost of the role of $60 million, that the steps in place—again, I want to mention, just as I wrap up, the balance of hearing how those in the industry will have the opportunity to raise their concerns about when the industry is going to be closed, is going to be wrapped up. Will it be fair compensation? But Labour does support this step in this bill. I commend the bill to the House

Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s a pleasure to be able to take a very short call on the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill. We’ve heard across the House that there’s unanimous support for this very compassionate bill, and we’ve also acknowledged that there will be a huge impact on those people involved in the industry. Without extending the time any longer, I commend the bill to the House.

Motion agreed to.

Bill read a first time.

The question is, That the Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill be considered by the Primary Production Committee.

Motion agreed to.

Bill referred to the Primary Production Committee.

Instruction to the Primary Production Committee