Queensland enacts strongest racing integrity regime in Australia

Queensland Parliament has passed laws to prevent another animal cruelty scandal in racing, creating the strongest racing integrity regime in Australia.

Racing Minister Grace Grace said the Racing Integrity Bill passed overnight would create a new standalone racing integrity commission in Queensland.

She said the new Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) would be headed by one of the State’s most senior police officers Ross Barnett.

“The greyhound live baiting scandal showed that Queensland’s previous racing integrity regime had failed,” she said.

“It couldn’t prevent sickening acts of animal cruelty in the greyhound industry that outraged so many Queenslanders.

“And it couldn’t prevent other suspected illegal activities in the wider racing industry.

“QRIC will be the tough cop on the beat that Queensland racing needs to restore public confidence in the industry.

“It will have additional powers above and beyond those previously held by Racing Queensland to maintain integrity across all three codes of racing.”

Ms Grace said QRIC was established to implement the recommendations of the MacSporran Commission of Inquiry into greyhound live baiting.

“The MacSporran Commission found that industry self-regulation had failed,” she said.

“It found there were existing tensions between Racing Queensland’s commercial interests and its animal welfare and integrity interests.

“This led to the alarming situation whereby integrity and animal welfare risks were not being adequately assessed or managed.

“The former integrity regime was under-resourced and there was a clear lack of accountability, with some senior positions lacking job descriptions.

“A properly resourced QRIC will enable Racing Queensland to focus on its core commercial activities – race scheduling, prizemoney and marketing.”

Ms Grace said the State Government would provide extra funding to cover the additional costs required to run QRIC until 2020.

“We’ll provide QRIC with all the extra resources it needs but I want to make it clear the extra costs will be met by government, not industry,” she said.

“Racing Queensland will not have to spend any more than it currently does on the existing integrity regime.

“But one thing is very clear: the cost of ignoring integrity in racing outweighs the cost of tackling these issues as they emerge.

“Without public confidence, the racing industry cannot survive and prosper.”

Commissioner Ross Barnett said QRIC would gain new powers in addition to Racing Queensland’s existing integrity functions.

“QRIC will also be given additional staff and resources to carry out its enhanced integrity functions,” he said.

“It will have a wide remit to tackle animal cruelty, race fixing, doping, money laundering and other illegal activities that might be involved in racing.

“Truly effective maintenance of integrity in sport can only be achieved by separating this function from the commercial side of running the business.

“I believe QRIC will be the best ally the racing industry has ever had.”

Key MacSporran Commission of Inquiry Findings:

The new position of General Manager (Stewarding and Integrity Operations) did not have a role profile. (Report Paragraph 497)

Interestingly, nowhere in the role description for the CEO is there a “carving out” of responsibility for integrity or risks which affect the Queensland racing industry. (Report Paragraph 506)

Not one cent of the additional $17 million which was allocated to increased prize money in 2014-15 was allocated to initiatives associated with animal welfare, integrity management or risk management. (Report Paragraph 577).

Media Contact: Martin Philip 0427 919 548