MEDIA RELEASE MONDAY 8 DECEMBER 2025
The Queensland Government’s so-called ‘independent’ racing review has completely failed on horse welfare, said The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), after the review report was made public on Saturday.
“The Queensland Government must do better than this,” said Helle Erhardsen, General Manager for CPR. “They’re throwing an additional $200 million of taxpayers’ money into saving an industry that is losing its social licence to operate, while ignoring the suffering of the horses they rely on to exist.”
The racing review has not resulted in one single initiative to address any of the countless racehorse welfare issues that plague the industry, such as those raised in CPR’s submission, despite the terms of reference for the review clearly listed animal welfare as one of the key issues to be reviewed.
“Perhaps the lack of addressing racehorse welfare shouldn’t be surprising considering the steering committee of the ‘independent’ review was made up purely of members from within the racing industry,” Miss Erhardsen said.
“It’s like they have totally ignored the many public submissions expressing urgent concern for the welfare of racehorses in Queensland,” said Miss Erhardsen.
Among the 110 recommendations made by the review, only four refer to the welfare of racehorses (and one of these is in part only). All four reflect nothing more than nice sentiments.
- The first and second (Nos. 35 & 36) provide a confusing mix of whole-of-life traceability and post-racing programs. The traceability program will first be implemented for greyhounds. Only then, will the possibility of expanding the program to racehorses “in future”, be “investigated”. The post-racing program is only accepted “in principle”, and it depends upon national all-state cooperation.
- The third (No. 37) refers to Racing Queensland’s Off-The-Track program, which they “aim to continue to improve”. No specific details are given.
- The fourth (No. 38) refers to Racing Queensland’s cooperation with the non-profit organisation Save a Horse Australia, which they will continue to support – although only “in principle”.
Not a single initiative is recommended to alleviate the risk to foals, broodmares and horses coming off the racetrack (whether they finish sound, injured or mentally traumatised) in the new future. This is despite the report’s acknowledgement about the high risk of poor welfare outcomes for horses who exit racing, at various stages of their lives.
In 2020, following the ABC 7:30 exposure of the horrendous slaughter of racehorses at a Queensland abattoir, the damning Martin Inquiry called for urgent action to safeguard retired racehorses. Five years later however, the welfare and safety of over 2000 racehorses who exit the racing industry in Queensland each year, remain largely unaccounted for.
“The Minister for Racing calls it the most substantial review of the Queensland racing sector in 25 years, so how on earth can they get away with not addressing the massive horse welfare issues that the public is deeply concerned about,”
“This entire review process seems to be nothing but a PR exercise to give the impression that animal welfare is important, when actually all they really care about is trying to stem the flow of people turning against racing on grounds of animal welfare,” said Miss Erhardsen.
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