Thousands of signatures: Greyhound racing ban bid hits parliament
A bid to have greyhound racing banned in South Australia will make its way to parliament today, while a petition with more than 11,000 signatures is backing the push.
A motion calling on the state government to ban greyhound racing in South Australia will be presented in parliament today following a grassroots petition that has amassed thousands of signatures.
Greens MLC Melanie Selwood will move a motion in the upper house this afternoon calling on the state government to “take immediate action to ban the practice of greyhound racing in South Australia”.
“There’s so much cruelty for greyhounds involved with greyhound racing and we really want to see an end to this industry,” Selwood told InDaily.
“Ten thousand people have signed a petition, so it’s clear that the community want us to end this practice. We hope that the government don’t just choose to reform the industry instead of banning it.
“What we’re really trying to do here is push the government to say they can do better; they can actually ban this industry and move into the 21st century.”
In 2023, the state government commissioned an independent inquiry into SA’s greyhound racing industry, which was led by former Victorian police commissioner Graham Ashton, following multiple reports of greyhound abuse.
The inquiry led to 87 recommendations for change, and the industry was given until July 8, 2026, to implement all recommendations, while the state government gave the industry two years to improve standards or face a ban.
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Selwood said the Greens were “really keen” to see the outcomes of the Greyhound Industry Reform Inspector Sal Perna’s report on the 87 recommendations due in July.
“A lot of the practises within the greyhound industry are actually difficult to understand because some of the cruelty happens in people’s homes behind closed doors,” Selwood said.
“It can be quite difficult to reform the industry. We think it’s just time to end this practice and let the dog live a good life and we’ll be continuing the push to end greyhound racing moving forward.”
Greyhound racing has been banned outright in the ACT since 2018, while Tasmania has introduced plans to phase-out the industry by 2029.
On Tuesday, a petition organised by the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds with more than 11,000 signatures was tabled in the lower house calling for SA to follow suit.
Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds SA director Elle Trahair said the petition demonstrated “how much the community cares” about greyhound racing reforms and was thankful to see it reach parliament.
“We don’t want greyhounds used for gambling and exploited in this way anymore,” Trahair said.
“When you’re looking at reform, you want to see a reduction of harm to greyhounds and what we’re seeing is the complete opposite.
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“We believe that this industry is not one that can reform through incremental steps and the evidence is clear that there is no overall reduction to the harm of greyhounds.”
The petition follows calls from RSPCA SA to ban greyhound racing in May, claiming the independent inquiry to reform the industry had failed to address greyhound welfare concerns.
Race-day stewards’ reports show 1064 greyhounds were injured in SA last year, including 316 major injuries and five deaths. Data between January and March 2026 show 259 injuries on SA tracks — a 16 per cent increase in injuries on the previous quarter.
“I hope that this action shows a really clear message amongst all the other evidence that greyhound racing has absolutely no place in South Australia,” Trahair said.
“It’s a defining moment where the government can actually show some real leadership and plan for the future or bury its head in the sand and continue what it’s doing knowing what goes on.”
Recreation, Sport and Racing Minister Rhiannon Pearce said the state government had made it “abundantly clear to the greyhound racing industry” to improve standards but would wait for the Greyhound Industry Reform Inspector’s report before making any decisions.
“The review is aimed at improving animal welfare outcomes and strengthening compliance and reporting obligations, particularly for individuals who work or volunteer in the greyhound industry,” Pearce said.
“The Government, on the eve of receiving Mr Perna’s report, is not going to pre-empt its findings.”
Greyhound Racing SA CEO Brenton Scott said it had undertaken “substantial reform to strengthen welfare, integrity, governance and accountability” in the industry.
“We support and have embraced each of the Ashton Review’s recommendations, including those proposed by animal welfare groups, and we are going beyond the recommendations to best support the welfare of greyhounds and the integrity and governance of the industry,” Scott said.
“We have significantly boosted our animal welfare practices and resourcing to ensure the care and safety of all greyhounds has been prioritised on a whole of life basis.
“The welfare of the industry’s greyhounds is of the utmost importance to us.”
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