BAN RESPONSE: Armidale greyhound club respond to Baird backflip

Treasurer Barry Mitchell said anyone found to be doing the wrong thing in the sport deserve to be wiped out. 

"There are so many good people in everything and there is just a small element of the corrupt people,” he said. 

Premier Mike Baird outlawed the sport from July 2017 in August after a special commission of inquiry report outlined cruelty within the industry. 

Following massive public backlash, Cabinet met on Tuesday morning and announced a decision to backdown on the ban shortly after. A cloud remains around the future of Armidale Greyhound Club after a series of proposed changes were put forward as part of the decision. 

It is reported changes to the industry include capping breeding to 2,000, reducing the number of tracks and race events, a whole-of-life dog cycle management plan and a $1,500 bond for every dog bred.

Armidale Greyhound Club’s secretary-manger Greg Nordstrom said the policy reversal is a great decision for everybody involved in the sport. 

"Things have got to change and everybody sees that,” he said. 

"A lot of discussion being brought up is around things that happened over 12 years.

"Over the last 18 months to two years are have been a lot of changes that haven't been brought out into the open.” 

Mitchell agreed and said while the decision is good for the industry, there is still plenty of work trainers, owners and supporters have do to build the sport back up again. 

"Now that is has been turned over, they really have to get in and try and get rid of any bad element that has been in greyhound racing,” he said. 

"They really have to monitor what they do and what their friends do and what anyone does really.

“The work begins now to keep greyhound racing at the proper level it should be at and the level you want people to see it at.”