Finally, the investigation assessed whether current operations and curation standards meet a “world-leading” level for animal welfare – including track camber and surface – incorporating direct feedback from trainers and stakeholders who had raised concerns.
The investigation has been completed, but its findings and recommendations will not be made public until the report’s release.
The Q officially opened in June, at a cost of more than $80 million.Credit: The Q
A spokeswoman for Racing Minister Tim Mander said the investigation was thorough, but its details were not ready to be made public.
“This $90 million facility was commissioned and built under the former Labor government, but the Crisafulli government is determined to ensure it upholds animal welfare standards,” she said.
“We are confident in the work that has been done to ensure this happens and the recommendations will be released in the near future.”
The identity of the entity tasked with conducting the review would also remain secret until the report’s release, but the terms of reference called for a “detailed desktop and physical investigation” of all three tracks at The Q – a large one-turn track, a two-turn track and a straight track.
“In designing The Q, Racing Queensland established a panel of leading industry experts … with the intention to provide the optimal track for racing safety and injury reduction,” the Racing Department says in its terms of reference.
“Since its opening, The Q has faced increasing scrutiny due to growing concerns over animal welfare, placing increased pressure on the greyhound racing industry and on government oversight.”
The documents say the tracks were designed with surface banking “designed to reduce excessive limb forces acting on greyhounds” with modern cambers and a “world-class racing surface”.
Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds president Amy MacMahon said the RTI was the first official acknowledgement she had seen of the 11 greyhound deaths, but The Q’s body count had risen to as many as 16 since the investigation was launched.
The most recent death was Bad Boy Red, who was euthanised after an off-foreleg injury at The Q the Sunday before last.
A high-speed collision during a greyhound race at The Q in May at one of the new venue’s warm-up races.Credit: Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds
“We are really keen to see the results of this review, but we know that there’s actually nothing you can do to make a greyhound track safe,” MacMahon said.
“So even if the review comes back and says that everything was done as the plan intended, you would still end up with a greyhound racing track that isn’t safe.”
A spokesman for the Labor opposition called for the report’s immediate release.
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“If the investigation into The Q has completed, why is it gathering dust on Tim Mander’s desk?” he said.
“If the minister was serious about addressing the issues raised at The Q, he would release the report and its recommendations as a matter of priority to give industry and community certainty.”
The extent of animal welfare concerns at the facility remained unclear, with a separate RTI application to RQ hinting at major issues.
That application identified almost 1400 documents produced since March, but RQ imposed a $17,160 charge for this masthead to access them.
In August, Tasmanian Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced plans to phase out greyhound racing in the Apple Isle by June 30, 2029.
Rockliff’s pledge came almost nine years after then-NSW Liberal premier Mike Baird announced a ban on greyhound racing in his state, only to capitulate three months later following intense industry pressure.
There does not appear to be much appetite for such a ban from Queensland’s LNP government. In July, Premier David Crisafulli described greyhound racing as “an important part of the fabric of who we are as Queenslanders”.
This week’s planned release of the government’s separate, far-reaching review into all three racing codes – thoroughbred, harness and greyhound – has also been delayed.
