Related content: Backflip for the ages
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Local greyhound trainer Nathan Goodwin will no longer have to relocate to another state to keep his business afloat but he still fears country tracks could suffer if the right steps aren’t taken.
Goodwin believes the plan is to centralise the races and remove a lot of the country tracks that exist across New South Wales.
“There are currently a lot of greyhound tracks that are struggling to stay afloat and aren’t making any money. A lot of these tracks are within a 200km radius of three other tracks and it is likely that only one of them will survive, it makes sense to do that economically,” Goodwin explained.
This could create a problem in itself though with the greyhounds all needing to race at the one track from a large area.
“The track would have to be active for at least two days a week to accommodate all of the dogs.”
“This would benefit the industry overall but it would be an absolute disaster if all country tracks in NSW were to be shut down.”
The backflip of the greyhound racing ban was the perfect solution as Goodwin was planning to move interstate to continue his passion.
“I have lived here my whole life and I have been around greyhound racing since I was a child. I would have moved to either Queensland or South Australia but I am glad it doesn’t have to come to that.”
Goodwin is still in disbelief about how all greyhound trainers were portrayed in the media and was constantly in fear for his friends lives.
“There was $1.6 million that we know of spent on the TV and radio advertisements that were essentially brainwashing the public into think we were all bad.”
“That money could have been spent on a hospital, making our roads better or setting up ways to ensure greyhounds have homes once they are finished racing because they really are great pets.”
“My biggest concern from all of this was for the people who weren’t in a situation to move and continue their jobs or passion. I had friends who were ringing mental health lines and were on suicide watch.”
It was the worst thing Goodwin has seen in his life and is glad the solution that should have been made from the beginning was met.