Poor track design contributed to Queensland greyhound deaths: report

20 hours ago 5

Faulty track designs contributed to the deaths of at least 11 greyhounds at Queensland’s newest racing facility, an independent report has found.

Earlier this week, this masthead revealed the Crisafulli government had quietly ordered a post-design and construction review into The Q, near Ipswich, which had been plagued by dog deaths since before it officially opened in June.

In commissioning the reviews in July, the Racing Department acknowledged there had been 11 greyhound deaths in less than five months of racing – a figure the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds on Friday counted at 16, along with 429 injuries.

The Q greyhound racing facilty at Purga, near Ipswich, opened earlier this year, included a a large one-turn track, a two-turn track and a straight track.

On Friday, the state government released a summary of two independent reports – one on the cancellation of the Brisbane Cup in July and the other on the design and construction of the $90 million, three-track facility itself.

The full reports have not been made public.

Sport surface design firm SPORTENG, which the Department of Racing engaged to conduct the investigation into The Q’s design and construction, found there were several design flaws that contributed to safety issues.

A high-speed collision during a greyhound race at The Q in May at one of the new venue’s warm-up races.

Those flaws included drainage inefficiencies, shade impacts affecting consistence moisture levels and issues with the track surfaces themselves. The manual operation of drainage valves also posed a risk of human error.

“Variations in sand particle size and hydraulic conductivity were identified, with some sand samples exceeding recommended silt/clay percentages,” the report found.

“The sand profile’s stability was highly dependent on moisture content, with saturation levels between 25 and 30 per cent leading to instability.”

Most damning, however, was this finding, as per the Department’s summary: “Despite these challenges, the tracks were constructed in accordance with the design documentation.”

In 2019, then-racing minister Stirling Hinchliffe announced the Labor government would build the new facility at Purga, consolidating existing facilities in Brisbane and Ipswich.

“When greyhound racing started at Albion Park and the Ipswich Showgrounds in the 1980s and 1990s, those tracks met contemporary standards for animal welfare,” he said at the time.

“Those standards are now much higher and we have consulted at length with experts, including Professor David Eager from the School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering at Sydney’s University of Technology.

“Animal welfare will be at the core of the design and construction of the venue.”

Comment has been sought from Eager, who in 2019 said track design decisions would be “evidence-based around optimal safety and welfare for the competing greyhounds”.

SPORTENG recommended drainage valves be automated and the number of drainage outlets be increased, geofabric be replaced on all three tracks to allow better water infiltration, improved moisture testing and monitoring, and the development of a comprehensive maintenance manual “to guide track preparation and maintenance to properly curate the sand tracks profiles”.

While the tracks were built as per their design, this masthead has been told there was no particular type of geofabric – a synthetic layer beneath the racing surface – specified in the designs.

Racing Minister Tim Mander said all the recommendations had been accepted and it would be up to the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission, Racing Queensland and the Queensland Greyhound Racing Club for their implementation.

‘The LNP can’t hide behind Labor’s junk design.’

“These findings highlight the importance of appropriate training, governance, documented procedures, record keeping, and communication in all aspects of track preparation,” he said.

“...This $90 million facility was commissioned and built under the former Labor government, but the Crisafulli government is determined to make sure all steps are taken to ensure it upholds animal welfare standards.”

The review into the cancellation of the Brisbane Cup, undertaken by former deputy racing integrity commissioner Mark Ainsworth – once a senior police detective – found overwatering caused track suitability issues on the day of the abandoned July 5 meet.

CPG president Amy MacMahon, previously a Greens MP in the Queensland parliament, said both major parties wore the blame for the greyhound deaths at The Q.

“The LNP can’t hide behind Labor’s junk design and waste of public money at The Q,” she said.

“Both Labor and the LNP have wasted millions in public money on The Q and have put gambling company profits ahead of the welfare of greyhounds.

“These reviews show that The Q needs to be closed immediately.”

Comment was sought from opposition racing spokeswoman Grace Grace, who served as minister in the portfolio in the former Labor government.