Australia: greyhound racing returns to Mandurah after AU$6m upgrade

Greyhound racing returned to TABtouch Park after an eight-month hiatus.

Australia.- The TABtouch Park has reopened after an eight-month break for an AU$6m redevelopment. The course jow has a wider track with improved bends, an upgraded catching pen and new lighting, starting boxes and fencing.

In place of the previous mechanically operated lure attached to a steel cable, dogs now chase a battery-powered Safechase Greyhound Lure system. According to Peter Howell, Racing WA’s greyhound operations manager, the improvements ensure optimal track composition for greyhound safety and welfare. 

Trial runs were conducted in October. The redevelopment was informed by insights from professor David Eager of the University of Technology Sydney, who conducted a review of greyhound health and safety in Western Australia in 2021. Some campaigners, such as Free The Hounds president Melissa Harrison questioned the effectiveness of similar upgrades in other states.

See also: Gambling ad ban could harm Australian greyhound racing, industry warns