Greyhound Racing NSW and the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission are acting to ensure that the industry is safe, and that we can operate safely and efficiently within the requirements of the COVID-19 Health Orders. We remain agile to changed government requirements, and we will amend our protocols as and when required.

We are doing this in consultation with government and the cooperation of clubs and participants.

We seek to ensure that the industry can continue to operate safely, whilst ensuring the commercial viability of the whole NSW greyhound industry.

In consultation with GRNSW, GWIC and GBOTA, we have cancelled all race meetings at Wentworth Park until further notice. We have taken that step because we want to provide no necessity for participants, officials and other staff to travel into inner Sydney. We have scheduled race meetings in other locations, with increased prizemoney, to maintain earnings for participants.

Greater Sydney Area Restrictions

Greater Sydney Area comprise all of these Local Government Areas: Bayside; Blacktown City; Blue Mountains City; Burwood; Camden; Campbelltown City; Canada Bay City; Canterbury-Bankstown; Central Coast; Cumberland; Fairfield City; Georges River; Gosford; Hawkesbury City; Hornsby Shire; Hunter’s Hill Municipality; Inner West; Ku-ring-gai; Lane Cove Municipality; Liverpool City; Mosman Municipality; North Sydney; Northern Beaches; Parramatta City; Penrith City; Randwick City; Ryde City; Shellharbour City; Strathfield Municipality; Sutherland Shire; Sydney City; The Hills Shire; Waverley; Willoughby City; Wollondilly Shire; Wollongong City; Woollahra City.

If you reside in Greater Sydney Area,  GRNSW will not accept any nominations from trainers/owners from Zone 1 to attend race meetings outside Greater Sydney Area.

UPDATED 29/07/2021 - LGA's in complete lock down

In addition, residents of the Blacktown, Cumberland, Georges River, Parramatta, Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury Bankstown Local Government Areas (LGA), cannot leave their LGA for work except for emergency services and healthcare workers.

Residents of these LGAs may nominate their greyhounds to race but CANNOT attend the track. Trainers who wish to nominate their greyhounds in a Zone 1 race must  arrange for contactless pick up of their greyhounds by a professional animal courier company who will transport the greyhounds to the race meeting. A nominated greyhound attendant or trainer will then receive the greyhound at the track and manage the handling of the greyhound at the race meeting before the greyhound is returned to it's kennel.

Racing Protocols

All participants, particularly those in the Greater Sydney Area, are requested to limit their movements during the lockdown period to avoid being exposed to COVID-19 and risking the industry. The vigilance of NSW greyhound participants will help us to stop the COVID-19 virus from infiltrating the greyhound racing industry.

You can help the industry and your family by regularly checking the list of exposure sites at this link: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/nsw-covid-19-case-locations

1. All NSW Health Orders are to be strictly complied with.
2. Exercise caution and good judgement. Wash hands, wear a good quality facemask, limit travel, limit exposure to fellow participants and officials at tracks. Try not to stop on your journey.
3. Only essential personnel are to attend race meetings. Do not turn up to race meetings with any non-essential people, as they will be turned away at the gate.
4. No travel from Greater Sydney to Regional Areas for any greyhound racing or trialling purposes.
5. No travel from Regional Areas to Greater Sydney for any greyhound racing or trialling purposes.
6. Properly fitted face masks (either surgical or KN95) are to be worn by all persons everywhere at all NSW greyhound race tracks across NSW.
7. Temperature testing in Greater Sydney of all attendees at racecourses is mandatory.
8. Any participant that resides in a Regional Area but attends or has attended the Greater Sydney Area on or after 21 June 2021 are subject to NSW Health Stay at Home orders. If you fall into that category, you obviously must not attend a racecourse, trial track or any greyhound facility other than your own.
9. All participants and essential personnel are required to use QR codes at every racecourse and venue. If you do not check in voluntarily, you will be turned away.
10. Do not attend a racetrack, club, trial track, other participant’s place or any other greyhound-related place if you have any symptoms of COVID-19 at all, such as fever, cough or tiredness. Instead, get tested and self-isolate until you get a negative result.
11. Any participant that returns a positive COVID test please immediately report the result to Greyhound Racing NSW.
12. The one person per four square metres applied to all indoor and outdoor settings.

We are confident that the industry’s actions last year prove our ability to run a safe and totally compliant operation, whilst preserving the livelihood of participants and the commerciality of the industry. We ask for all of you help in ensuring that is the case.

We thank you for your support in doing all that is necessary to keep our industry operating.

Safe racing!

Tony Mestrov and Steve Griffin
CEO GRNSW and CEO GWIC