Two charter flights carrying scores of New Zealand greyhounds have arrived in Queensland, adding a new dimension to the animal welfare debate surrounding greyhound racing in Ipswich.
About 140 dogs have been flown into Queensland since New Zealand ended commercial greyhound racing on 1 August. A second charter flight carrying approximately 70 greyhounds arrived in Toowoomba on 13 August.
Among the dogs was Opawa Soap, who has not yet raced and will turn one on 22 August, while animal welfare groups on both sides of the Tasman have criticised the transfers. They argue that sending the animals to continue racing in Australia rather than retiring and rehoming them in New Zealand undermines the welfare purpose of the ban.
Photo Credit: Grassroots Campaigns Aotearoa
New arrivals turn attention to Purga
The influx puts renewed attention on Ipswich’s flagship racing venue, The Q at Purga.
Developed as Queensland’s flagship greyhound racing venue, the multi-million-dollar complex brought the Brisbane and Ipswich Greyhound Racing Clubs together at Purga. Racing Queensland has promoted the facility as a world-class venue designed around animal care, pointing to specialised starting boxes, air-conditioned kennels and track cambers intended to reduce excessive limb forces on racing greyhounds. Animal welfare groups, however, have made the Purga complex a prominent focus of their concerns about racing safety in Queensland.
Animal welfare organisations citing industry data say Queensland recorded a higher injury rate than New Zealand, including for Category F injuries, which encompass racing deaths and the most serious injuries.
Safety scrutiny follows The Q’s opening
The Purga facility has faced scrutiny over track conditions and safety since racing began. In July 2025, the Brisbane Cup was postponed and later cancelled after the Q2 track was deemed unsuitable for racing, prompting investigations into the venue and its operations.
Government-released investigation findings later identified shortcomings in training, governance, documentation, record-keeping and communication, contrasting with Racing Queensland’s emphasis on safety-focused design features at the complex.
Advocates point to the experience of an earlier group of New Zealand greyhounds as evidence of the risks they say imported dogs could face in Australia. According to tracking by the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds, 24 dogs from an earlier group of 80 New Zealand greyhounds sustained 32 injuries on Australian tracks, while two were killed. The group says Goldstar Buzz was killed at The Q in Purga in July.
Campaigners argue that importing additional racing greyhounds could place further pressure on rehoming systems when the dogs retire.
Political battlelines drawn
Political pressure is mounting alongside public scrutiny. An e-petition before the Queensland Parliament had attracted 5,301 signatures as of 14 August. It explicitly calls for a phased ban on greyhound racing state-wide. The petition singles out The Q at Ipswich and calls for a transition plan to rehome greyhounds and support workers affected by any closure of the industry.
The Queensland Government continues to support the racing industry and says its reforms are intended to strengthen the sector while improving integrity and animal welfare. With advocates suggesting some of the newly arrived greyhounds could ultimately race at The Q, the Purga facility is likely to remain a central focus of Queensland’s debate over greyhound racing and animal welfare.
Published 14-Aug-2026
