The greyhound racing track at Dapto Showground. Photo: Jen White.
The relationship between Dapto’s agricultural show society and the masters of greyhound racing in NSW has been troubled for many years.
Much like the Federal Coalition, the two parties have previously separated and announced an immediate divorce, each blaming the other. After the last acrimonious split in 2019, it appeared they’d talked it out, called a truce and resumed a relationship of sorts.
Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society (AHS) is responsible for not only Dapto Showground, but for operating one of the state’s longest-running shows, dating back to 1857.
Greyhound Racing RNSW leases the dog track around the showground, where greyhound racing has been held since February 1937. The southern Wollongong suburb of Dapto eventually became known worldwide thanks to the “Dapto Dogs”, much to the angst of many residents.
“It may sound cliched, but the iconic Dapto Dogs is as Australian as meat pies and Holden cars, and whether you are a punter or not, you have heard of the name,” says the CEO of Greyhound Racing NSW Steve Griffin.
Iconic it may be, but in 2025, the AHS believes it has a responsibility to prioritise the growing needs of the community and those demands do not include catering to the demands of the greyhound industry.
After the short-lived 2019 divorce, when it appeared the last race had been run, the society agreed to review the lease to GRNSW and extended it to allow greyhound racing to continue until June 2025.
In January 2023, GRNSW announced it had bought land in Bong Bong Road where it planned to build an $11 million centre of excellence for greyhound racing in Dapto.
At the time, the organisation said “the future of greyhound racing at Dapto has been secured with news that Greyhound Racing NSW has purchased land to build a new track in the region”.
The then CEO Rob Macaulay said the site would not only be a racing venue with scope for significant community-based usage, it would be multifunctional with the potential for other sports to use the facility.
It seemed to be a win-win for the AHS, GRNSW and the wider community. It now appears that announcement may have been premature.
In 2023 the community was invited to give feedback on the plans through GRNSW’s dedicated Dapto Greyhound Project website page.
The only detail remaining on that site this week was a message that the page could not be found.
Fast forward to last Saturday and an announcement by GRNSW that come June 2026, greyhound racing would end at the “iconic Dapto venue”.
It said Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society had notified the organisation on Friday 23 May that it would not be extending the lease on the Wollongong racetrack beyond that date.
Steve Griffin, just three months into his tenure as GRNSW CEO, said: “GRNSW has been in consultation with the society in recent months about the future of racing at the Dapto Showground and we held hopes that a long-term extension at the venue may be possible.
“The society informed us this week that greyhound racing did not align with their long-term goals at the site.
“We understand it was a commercial decision, but that doesn’t soften the disappointment which will be felt right across the industry, particularly within the Illawarra.”
The release pointed the finger squarely at the AHS for not extending the lease, yet the only mention of the proposed $11 million centre of excellence was that “GRNSW also owns land at nearby Bong Bong Road and will explore the feasibility of developing that site”.
Hours after GRNSW issued its statement on Saturday, Dapto A&H Society CEO Katrina Novak fired back. She confirmed that greyhound racing would not form part of the society’s long-term plans for The Groundz Precinct, following an extensive review of the site’s future development potential.
Ms Novak said despite GRNSW indicating it intended to relocate from the showground site to its new centre, “the society was subsequently approached by GRNSW to consider a long-term lease option at The Groundz”.
“Over recent months, the society reviewed its strategic plan and engaged consultants to explore whether the site could accommodate the continued presence of greyhound racing, including the relocation of kennels and the addition of a clubhouse,” she said.
“However, the request for a tenure of up to 20 years presented a fundamental barrier to the society’s ability to meet the evolving needs of the broader community.
“Even with design modifications, retaining racing operations would significantly limit our capacity to deliver on long-term goals.
“We must prioritise flexibility and the ability to meet the growing needs of our local community.”
The greyhound industry in NSW and across Australia has been under the spotlight for several years.
In July last year, the NSW Government announced the Drake Inquiry into Greyhound Racing NSW would examine complaints about GRNSW’s governance and operations, track safety and animal welfare issues, including claims made by whistleblowers.
The inquiry was due to table its report last December, however it has since been extended until 31 July 2025.
Katrina Novak made it clear the decision not to extend the showground lease beyond June 2026 was “not about forcing greyhound racing out”.
“While we are not in a position to commit to a 20-year arrangement, we are open to discussing a short-term agreement if that would assist GRNSW in its transition planning,” she said.
GRNSW is due to shortly hold a summit on a “track rationalisation plan” for the code.
Steve Griffin told The Greyhound Recorder that the “Track Optimisation Strategy will not only include existing tracks but also deal with the prospect of any new projects being brought to life”.
“How many tracks we have in the future, where they are located and how often they race will all form part of the strategy and be the future blueprint for the industry,” he said.
It will be very interesting to see where the future of Dapto Dogs lands in this future blueprint.
