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UPDATE: Mike Baird confirms greyhound ban backflip

Is Wentworth Park under threat?
10th October, 2016
18

Greyhound racing in New South Wales has earned a huge reprieve, with Premier Mike Baird confirming he has reversed his stunning ban on the sport in the state.

The ban, following the Special Commission of Inquiry, was swift and sudden, and has attracted backlash for months which has hurt the previously popular premier.

Deputy Premier Troy Grant, who oversees racing in the state, also came under heavy scrutiny.

However, in a press conference on Tuesday following a cabinet meeting, Baird confirmed he would be making a stunning U-turn on the controversial policy.

“Today I can announce that the greyhound industry will be given one more chance,” Baird said.

“I got it wrong, we got it wrong, the cabinet got it wrong and the government got it wrong.”

Whispers of the backflip had grown across the weekend, as Baird’s office refused to refute claims made about a possible backdown while he was holidaying.

He had previously stood firm in the wake of protests and political pressure over ‘attacking the working class’, with the shutdown date of July 2017 said to be locked in.

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In a previous Facebook post, Baird had also rejected calls to give the industry another chance by following the 79 recommendations made by Hon. Michael McHugh QC, who conducted the Special Commission.

The sport will now continue past July 1, 2017, which had been the date the ban was due to come into force, however strict new laws and sanctions will be brought upon on the industry.

Baird said trainers and other participants in the sport will now need to sign up to much tougher bans for malpractice, including mandatory life bans from greyhound racing and longer jail sentences for the use of live baiting and registering greyhounds for their whole lives.

Former NSW premier Morris Iemma will also head a new independent industry regulator, which will be given access to increased resources to enforce the new regulations and ensure the welfare of greyhounds.

The move will grant the thousands who work or are involved with greyhounds in NSW fresh hope, and take valuable land, including Wentworth Park in inner-Sydney, off the table.

The ACT government, who had previously indicated the industry would not be viable without NSW, may also change positions on the sport.

The Daily Telegraph reported an exclusive on Monday indicating Baird was set to reverse the ban.

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