Greyhound Racing NSW says it is undeterred after a planning panel refused a large-scale canine rehoming centre within the Hunter Valley.
Key factors:
- A 400-dog greyhound rehoming facility within the Higher Hunter has been rejected
- Locals argued it was within the incorrect place for such an enormous centre
- Greyhound Racing NSW says the ability will likely be essential to reworking the trade
The trade physique bought a 135-hectare former horse stud at Martindale to create a $30 million, “world-first farmstay” to retrain and rehome as much as 400 retired race canines at a time.
Venture planning paperwork stated the Bylong Park Farmstay was “central to the way forward for Greyhounds NSW and its plans to rework the tradition of the greyhound racing trade”.
The controversial trade has confronted a collection of reforms to enhance animal welfare, together with bringing in lifetime traceability final 12 months.
However the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel unanimously rejected the rehoming mission.
It deemed the positioning unsuitable for the rehoming kennels, partially as a result of the property can grow to be “remoted for prolonged durations” throughout floods.
“The proposed improvement and related building would end in unacceptable impacts to the amenity of the encompassing residents and setting.”
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) stated the centre would have supplied 24 full-time equal native jobs, in addition to “glorious welfare advantages” for off-track greyhounds.
GRNSW CEO Rob Macaulay stated the choice was disappointing however wouldn’t cease the mission.
“If the regional planning panel does not assume that is the appropriate property then we are going to merely discover the appropriate property,” Mr Macaulay stated.
“There are a number of councils within the Central West who’re banging down our door to encourage us to come back there.”
Knowledge from the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Fee exhibits 1,321 canines retired from racing in 2022.
GRNSW stated that for canines that weren’t fairly “pet prepared”, it might supply “long-term rehabilitation and behavioural counselling” to assist ex-racers “transition from the monitor to the sofa”.
Mr Macaulay stated GRNSW remained dedicated to the best potential welfare.
“We’ll now proceed undeterred with the mission in one other area,” he stated.
‘Fantastic’, locals say
Residents of the small Martindale group raised considerations about noise, security, biosecurity, and animal welfare.
“Final night time on the telephones there was a bit of little bit of whooping and hollering,” Martindale resident Trevor Woolley stated.
“We have at all times stated they only selected the incorrect property.
“The final 10 kilometres of highway resulting in that improvement website is single-lane bitumen, there are blind corners, and so they have been going to double the quantity of visitors on that highway.”
Ishbell Collins’ household runs cattle at Martindale and stated it was “fantastic information”.
“It is a pristine valley and must be stored this fashion,” she stated.
