Greyhound Racing Victoria has reviewed its Penalty Guidelines for Prohibited Substances and is seeking public comment on the proposed changes.
GRV has completed initial consultation with industry bodies, including the Industry Consultative Group and the Office of the Racing Integrity Commissioner, and is now seeking feedback from participants and the broader community.
Submissions should be sent to [email protected] by 20 November 2018.
The proposed amendments will update guidelines that were published in 2011. They indicate the range of penalties that may be applied for breaches of national and state rules that deal with prohibited and permanently banned substances.
Neither GRV nor the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RADB) are bound by the guidelines, however, they provide a good indication of the type of penalties that may be sought by GRV in making submissions to the RADB. We develop guidelines such as these to ensure that rules are always enforced consistently and transparently across the industry and to keep participants informed of any changes.
GRV recognises that while most participants meet their obligations and strive to comply with the rules, appropriate penalties are necessary to encourage compliance and create an even-playing field for the benefit of participants, racing enthusiasts and the future of the sport.
A prohibited substance is defined by Greyhound Australasia in GAR1 as any substance capable of having an effect on a greyhound’s body system. The basic underlying principle is that we should have “drug-free racing” to ensure that a greyhound’s performance or welfare is not influenced in any way by any sort of drug or other substance.
GRV has set out to develop penalties that apply a strict approach to serious non-compliance, while allowing for discretion for incidents that are not as serious, including, for example, accidental contamination. Under the proposed guidelines, offences will continue to be treated on an individual basis and aggravating and mitigating factors, such as prior offences, remorse, cooperation and action taken, will be considered.
The penalty guidelines cover three categories of prohibited substance offences that range from the least serious offences to those which deal with permanently banned prohibited substances.
The draft guidelines and information on how you can provide feedback are available here.