- Rt Hon Winston Peters
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has welcomed the passing of legislation to end greyhound racing saying it is a decisive step reflecting the clear will of New Zealanders and delivers certainty for animal welfare, industry participants, and the public.
"The Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment has passed its third and final reading with overwhelming cross-party support, (112 votes to 11)" says Mr Peters.
"This action wasn't taken lightly, but independent reviews in 2013, 2017 and 2021 provided clear evidence of serious animal welfare concerns.
"While improvements were made, those gains plateaued and injury/death rates remained unacceptably high to the point the sport had lost its social licence. Action had to be taken," Mr Peters says.
This decision reflects a wider global shift away from greyhound racing, with sport now surviving in only a small number of countries. Since New Zealand announced its intention to end greyhound racing, further jurisdictions, including Scotland, Wales and Tasmania have signaled they will also end the sport.
Mr Peters said the end of racing is only one part of the Government's responsibility, with equal focus being placed on ensuring a safe, orderly, and compassionate transition.
"The passing of this Bill enables the establishment of a transition agency to oversee the wind‑down of racing and the rehoming of dogs, and we are now moving into the formal setup phase."
The transition agency will be headed by the current members of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on greyhound racing, Heather Simpson (chairperson), Murray Johnson and Dr Lindsay Burton, with a fourth member to be appointed later.
Key elements of the transition agency's work include:
- Assistance for greyhound owners, to ensure dogs receive a high standard of care while awaiting rehoming, including housing, training and behavioural support for the dogs.
- Partnerships with existing rehoming agencies, with practical support in place to expand their rehoming capacity and the number of dogs adopted.
- Retraining and redeployment support for industry workers, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, to help affected workers move into new jobs.
- Mental health and wellbeing support services for people whose daily lives have been closely tied to greyhound racing.
Mr Peters rejected claims that those affected by the closure will be left without support, saying "There has been a great deal of misinformation suggesting that people and dogs are being abandoned. That is simply wrong.
"This Bill underpins a structured transition, with funding, agencies, and support mechanisms in place. We are not walking away from our responsibilities; we are meeting them head on."
The ban on greyhound racing will take effect from 1 August 2026, allowing time for a responsible and carefully managed transition.
"This is a good day for greyhounds," says Mr Peters.
"It's a rare moment when Parliament speaks with such a strong majority, principled voice. Those moments matter, and this is one of them."
