Racing Industry (Closure of Greyhound Racing Industry) Amendment Bill
The departmental disclosure statement for a government Bill seeks to bring together in one place a range of information to support and enhance the Parliamentary and public scrutiny of that Bill.
It identifies:
· the general policy intent of the Bill and other background policy material;
· some of the key quality assurance products and processes used to develop and test the content of the Bill;
· the presence of certain significant powers or features in the Bill that might be of particular Parliamentary or public interest and warrant an explanation.
This disclosure statement was prepared by The Department of Internal Affairs – Te Tari Taiwhenua.
The Department of Internal Affairs – Te Tari Taiwhenua certifies that, to the best of its knowledge and understanding, the information provided is complete and accurate at the date of finalisation below.
10 October 2025.
Part One: General Policy Statement
This Bill amends the Racing Industry Act 2020 (the Act) to close commercial greyhound racing in New Zealand from 1 August 2026.
It does this by removing references to greyhound racing from the Act from 1 August 2026, so that greyhound racing is no longer a permitted form of racing for the purpose of betting under the Act.
To bring about the closure, this Bill establishes roles, responsibilities, and processes for closing the industry. These functions will ensure that animal welfare and the wellbeing of affected people are prioritised throughout the closure. Central to these functions is the creation of the Greyhound Racing Transition Agency (the Agency) to oversee the closure.
The closure will be achieved in 3 stages, as follows:
- stage 1: begins on the day after Royal assent:
- stage 2: begins on 1 August 2026:
- stage 3: begins on a date set by Order in Council, but no later than 1 August 2031.
This 3-stage approach ensures that a framework for closure is in place before commercial greyhound racing ends on 1 August 2026, and allows sufficient time for subsequent tasks to wind up the greyhound racing industry, such as ensuring that greyhounds are successfully rehomed.
The first stage establishes the Agency as a body corporate responsible for ensuring that a transition plan relating to Greyhound Racing New Zealand (GRNZ) is in place to wind up the industry.
The Agency will, among other things, be responsible for the winding up of GRNZ and greyhound racing clubs. It will receive GRNZ’s relevant functions and staff, facilitate the rehoming of greyhounds, and provide advice and support to industry participants as they exit the industry. TAB NZ will be required to provide an annual amount of funding approved by the Minister for Racing (the Minister) to enable the Agency to perform its functions.
The Minister will appoint up to 4 members to the Agency and may issue directions to, and require reporting from, the Agency. The Agency will be required to produce an annual report, which the Minister will present to the House of Representatives.
The first stage also establishes a regime for winding up greyhound racing clubs and GRNZ (noting that some of this may occur after 1 August 2026). It does this by inserting provisions, similar to those for the dissolution of all racing clubs, that apply to greyhound racing clubs (but reflecting that from 1 August 2026 they will be no longer racing), and providing for the dissolution of GRNZ (specifying that on the dissolution of GRNZ, the racing code’s assets vest in the Agency).
Additionally, the first stage amends the offence relating to the unlawful destruction of a specified greyhound. It does this by adjusting the existing definition of specified greyhound so that it does not include a greyhound that the Agency considers on reasonable grounds to have been successfully rehomed.
The second stage is the enactment of the cessation of greyhound racing. This Bill removes the mechanisms by which greyhound racing is lawfully undertaken, effective from 1 August 2026. All references to greyhound racing and the greyhound racing code are removed from the Act. During this stage, GRNZ will be dissolved and any appropriate remaining functions it carries out will transfer to the Agency.
The third stage repeals provisions relating to the Agency and comes into force by Order in Council and no later than 1 August 2031. The Agency is expected to have completed its functions by 31 July 2029 and will be disestablished on that date, unless the period within which it may continue to operate is extended by Order in Council to a date no later than 31 July 2031. Once the Agency is disestablished, any residual assets it holds will be distributed to the other racing codes.
Part Two: Background Material and Policy Information
Published reviews or evaluations
Relevant international treaties
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2.2. Does this Bill seek to give effect to New Zealand action in relation to an international treaty? |
NO |
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Regulatory impact analysis
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2.3. Were any regulatory impact statements provided to inform the policy decisions that led to this Bill? |
YES |
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Yes, two regulatory impact statements (RIS) inform this bill: the first was an interim RIS finalised on 27 November 2024, (https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Regulatory-Impact-2024/$file/Greyhound-Racing-RIS.pdf), and a second RIS finalised on 7 August 2025: (https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Greyhound-Racing-2025/$file/RIS-Transition-of-the-New-Zealand-greyhound-racing-industry-to-closure.pdf). |
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2.3.1. If so, did the Ministry for Regulation provide an independent opinion on the quality of any of these regulatory impact statements? |
NO |
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The RIS did not meet the threshold for the Ministry for Regulation’s assessment. |
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2.3.2. Are there aspects of the policy to be given effect by this Bill that were not addressed by, or that now vary materially from, the policy options analysed in these regulatory impact statements? |
NO |
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Extent of impact analysis available
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2.4. Has further impact analysis become available for any aspects of the policy to be given effect by this Bill? |
NO |
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2.5. For the policy to be given effect by this Bill, is there analysis available on: |
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(a) the size of the potential costs and benefits? |
YES |
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(b) the potential for any group of persons to suffer a substantial unavoidable loss of income or wealth? |
YES |
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The most up to date information is available in the August 2025 RIS https://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/Greyhound-Racing-2025/$file/RIS-Transition-of-the-New-Zealand-greyhound-racing-industry-to-closure.pdf |
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2.6. For the policy to be given effect by this Bill, are the potential costs or benefits likely to be impacted by: |
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(a) the level of effective compliance or non-compliance with applicable obligations or standards? |
NO |
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(b) the nature and level of regulator effort put into encouraging or securing compliance? |
NO |
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Part Three: Testing of Legislative Content
Consistency with New Zealand’s international obligations
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3.1. What steps have been taken to determine whether the policy to be given effect by this Bill is consistent with New Zealand’s international obligations? |
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None. Given the limited and domestic nature of this Bill, it is considered that it complies with relevant international standards and obligations. |
Consistency with the government’s Treaty of Waitangi obligations
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3.2. What steps have been taken to determine whether the policy to be given effect by this Bill is consistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi? |
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None. However, given its limited nature the Department does not believe Bill is inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. |
Consistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
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3.3. Has advice been provided to the Attorney-General on whether any provisions of this Bill appear to limit any of the rights and freedoms affirmed in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990? |
TBC |
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An assessment of the Bill's compliance with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 by the Ministry of Justice is in progress. Assuming the Attorney-General agrees to waive legal privilege, this advice when available will be able to be accessed at: https://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector-policy/constitutional-issues-and-human-rights/the-bill-of-rights-act/advice/. |
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Offences, penalties and court jurisdictions
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3.4. Does this Bill create, amend, or remove: |
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(a) offences or penalties (including infringement offences or penalties and civil pecuniary penalty regimes)? |
YES |
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(b) the jurisdiction of a court or tribunal (including rights to judicial review or rights of appeal)? |
NO |
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This Bill amends section 53A of the Racing Industry Act, which sets out an offence relating to the unlawful destruction of a specified greyhound. The amendment adjusts the existing definition of specified greyhound in section 53A(4) to provide it does not include a greyhound that the Agency considers on reasonable grounds to have been successfully rehomed. |
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3.4.1. Was the Ministry of Justice consulted about these provisions? |
NO |
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No. The amendment to 53a is not a material change, or an expansion of the offence. |
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Privacy issues
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3.5. Does this Bill create, amend or remove any provisions relating to the collection, storage, access to, correction of, use or disclosure of personal information? |
NO |
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3.5.1. Was the Privacy Commissioner consulted about these provisions? |
NO |
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The Privacy Commissioner was not consulted as it is not considered that privacy issues are raised by this Bill. |
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External consultation
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3.6. Has there been any external consultation on the policy to be given effect by this Bill, or on a draft of this Bill? |
YES |
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No stakeholder organisations have been consulted on the specific proposals of this Bill. However, in developing its recommendations on which the Bill is based, the Greyhound Racing Ministerial Advisory Committee met with a range of stakeholders within the industry from New Zealand and Australia and maintained close contact with Greyhound Racing New Zealand. The Committee also reviewed a draft of the Bill. |
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Other testing of proposals
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3.7. Have the policy details to be given effect by this Bill been otherwise tested or assessed in any way to ensure the Bill’s provisions are workable and complete? |
NO |
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Part Four: Significant Legislative Features
Compulsory acquisition of private property
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4.1. Does this Bill contain any provisions that could result in the compulsory acquisition of private property? |
YES |
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There are provisions which stipulate when greyhound racing clubs and Greyhound Racing New Zealand are dissolved, their assets vest in Greyhound Racing New Zealand and in the Transition Agency, respectively. The intention is for the clubs to dissolve first, followed by Greyhound Racing New Zealand. The transferring of assets would occur via a Transition Plan written in consultation with Greyhound Racing New Zealand, and any assets will be used to meet the objectives of supporting the greyhounds and affected people during the closure. |
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Charges in the nature of a tax
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4.2. Does this Bill create or amend a power to impose a fee, levy or charge in the nature of a tax? |
YES |
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Yes, it imposes a levy on TAB NZ for specified purposes, namely, to fund the Transition Agency to ensure the industry is closed in an orderly manner. |
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Retrospective effect
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4.3. Does this Bill affect rights, freedoms, or impose obligations, retrospectively? |
NO |
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Strict liability or reversal of the usual burden of proof for offences
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4.4. Does this Bill: |
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(a) create or amend a strict or absolute liability offence? |
NO |
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(b) reverse or modify the usual burden of proof for an offence or a civil pecuniary penalty proceeding? |
NO |
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Civil or criminal immunity
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4.5. Does this Bill create or amend a civil or criminal immunity for any person? |
NO |
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Significant decision-making powers
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4.6. Does this Bill create or amend a decision-making power to make a determination about a person’s rights, obligations, or interests protected or recognised by law, and that could have a significant impact on those rights, obligations, or interests? |
NO |
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Powers to make delegated legislation
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4.7. Does this Bill create or amend a power to make delegated legislation that could amend an Act, define the meaning of a term in an Act, or grant an exemption from an Act or delegated legislation? |
NO |
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4.8. Does this Bill create or amend any other powers to make delegated legislation? |
NO |
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Any other unusual provisions or features
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4.9. Does this Bill contain any provisions (other than those noted above) that are unusual or call for special comment? |
YES |
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This Bill creates a ‘Transition Agency’ which is a body corporate similar to TAB NZ, which will oversee the closure of greyhound racing, and ensure the development of a Transition Plan, which Greyhound Racing New Zealand must comply with, to wind up the industry. This Bill commences in three-stages, at Royal assent, on 1 August 2026 and on a date set by order in council, but no later than 1 August 2031. This is done to ensure a framework is in place prior to closing the industry, while allowing for sufficient time for subsequent tasks to give effect to wind up the greyhound racing industry. |
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