One horse dies every three days on Australian race tracks.
After years of exposés on the cruelty of horse racing, the growing power and influence of the gambling industry, and an overwhelming majority of people actively concerned about animal welfare, the Greens say it is beyond time to shut down racing.
To shut down commercial horse racing in Australia, the Greens have a clear Horse Racing Transition Plan.
Industrial transitions require careful planning. As part of the Horse Racing Transition Plan, we will establish:
- A Horse Racing Transition Taskforce to coordinate and manage the shut down of the horse racing industry
- A Horse Betting Levy of 1% of betting turnover related to commercial horse racing to finance transition activities
How would it work?
The Horse Racing Transition Taskforce would design and plan all key aspects of the industry shutdown, including: the national ban on horse racing; transitioning racing facilities to open green spaces; planning for workers currently employed; assisting in rehabilitation and rehoming of horses; and implementing the betting levy.
The Horse Betting Levy of 1% of betting turnover is projected to raise $494 million over its first two years. This money would fund activities decided by the taskforce, including: retraining programs for workers, rehoming schemes for animals, and redeveloping racecourses.
We know that the horse racing industry cannot be fixed - it must be shut down. We will work with State and Territory authorities to put an end to this cruel, gambling-fuelled industry.
The Greens are just a few hundred votes from the balance of power. In the balance of power, we will fight for our plan to shut down commercial horse racing.