Overview
- The WA parliamentary inquiry into greyhound racing, launched after a 26,000-signature petition, opened Monday with two days of hearings.
- An independent cost–benefit analysis by economist Stephen Walters found $498.1 million in costs versus $380.7 million in benefits over three years, a net loss of nearly $117 million.
- The study identifies gambling harm as the largest cost and counts more than $110 million in gambling impacts in 2026 plus $108.3 million in planned taxpayer support over three years.
- Testimony highlighted the human and animal toll, with a former participant describing dogs put down after race falls and advocates reporting 17 track deaths since November.
- Policy moves elsewhere add pressure, as Tasmania voted in 2025 to end racing by 2029 and New Zealand, Wales and Scotland have signalled plans to outlaw commercial dog racing.