Queensland to merge racing body with state integrity commission
The restructuring forms part of Queensland’s The Next Lap programme and follows changes proposed after the 2025 Queensland Racing Review.
Australia.- The Queensland Government has announced plans to combine the functions of Racing Queensland and the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) under a new governance model, while retaining separate oversight of integrity and animal welfare. The change forms part of the state government’s The Next Lap reform programme, developed following the 2025 Queensland Racing Review.
The government said the new structure is designed to reduce operational duplication and clarify accountability across Queensland’s thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing sectors. Racing Queensland will appoint a chief integrity officer with the same standing as the organisation’s chief executive. The officer will report directly to the racing minister, the Racing Queensland Board and a new board subcommittee responsible for integrity and animal welfare.
Sport and Racing Minister Tim Mander said the racing sector contributes more than A$2.5bn to Queensland’s economy each year and supports about 14,000 jobs. He said the revised structure would improve efficiency while maintaining independent oversight of integrity and animal welfare.
The reforms follow other measures under The Next Lap, including the appointment of a new Racing Queensland Board in March 2026 and plans for a A$200m (US$141.7m) Racing Future Fund for racing infrastructure. The government accepted 79 of the 110 recommendations from the 2025 independent review in full and a further 26 in principle.
The new model differs from the government’s December 2025 approach, which proposed transferring QRIC’s non-core functions to Racing Queensland while retaining a separate commissioner of stewards to oversee racing integrity and report to the minister.
The QRIC was established in 2016 following a government inquiry triggered by revelations of live baiting in Queensland’s greyhound racing industry. The commission oversees integrity and animal welfare across the state’s three racing codes.
