The AVA’s submission to the Independent Review of Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) to ensure the racing industry has a framework for long-term financial sustainability emphasises that animal welfare is a fundamental and inseparable component of effective racing governance and a key determinant of the industry’s long-term sustainability and social licence to operate. Read the full submission Here.
The AVA noted the Review Terms of Reference are focused on financial sustainability and governance structures under the Racing and Wagering Western Australia Act 2003, and that animal welfare, along with traceability and injury and mortality reporting, has been explicitly excluded from scope.
The AVA considers this separation to be problematic, as animal welfare is a fundamental and inseparable component of effective racing governance and a key determinant of the industry’s long-term sustainability and social licence to operate (SLO).
In the contemporary regulatory environment, animal welfare is not solely an ethical consideration; it constitutes a material financial risk. The industry’s SLO represents a critical intangible asset, directly influencing participation, wagering turnover, and Point of Consumption (POC) tax revenue. Public confidence in the treatment of animals is increasingly linked to the financial viability and long-term success of racing industries.
The racing industry directly and indirectly relies on the professional services of veterinarians throughout the lifecycle of greyhounds and horses, from breeding and training through to racing, retirement, and end-of-life care. As such, the outcomes of this Review will have direct implications for veterinarians and the services they provide.
While animal welfare is formally out of scope, many of the matters under consideration, including governance, integrity, community engagement, infrastructure, and participation growth, have clear and unavoidable intersections with welfare outcomes. Excluding animal welfare is therefore counterintuitive to achieving the Review’s stated objectives. These issues can and should be considered through a governance and integrity lens, enabling welfare-related risks and impacts to be appropriately addressed within the existing TOR.
Financial and structural reforms that do not adequately account for animal welfare considerations risk unintended consequences, including erosion of public confidence and further decline in the industry’s social licence to operate. Accordingly, the AVA encourages the Review to ensure that, despite its exclusion from the formal scope, animal welfare remains a key consideration in the development of recommendations, and that financial sustainability and governance measures do not inadvertently undermine animal welfare outcomes.
The AVA submission highlighted AVA policies relating to racing that are relevant to this Review and should be considered as part of its deliberations, additionally it provided information on:
- Regulatory oversight and independence governance
- Social licence to operate
- Whole of life accountability and transparency
- Code of conduct for veterinarians involved in the racing industry
- Research
- Infrastructure investment
- Regional racing sustainability
- Controlling bodies
- Clubs
- AVA recommendations to the December 2025 Inquiry into the greyhound racing industry in Western Australia
The AVA recommended that veterinarians be consulted on any draft recommendations arising from this Review prior to their consideration for legislative or regulatory implementation, particularly where those recommendations may have implications for veterinary services, animal wellbeing, or welfare standards.