That’s it for our live blog of the Baird government’s decision to ban greyhound racing in NSW from mid-2017, a decision that has sent shock waves through an industry and ignited fierce debate. 

Follow further coverage of the reaction below:

4.45PM

A quick recap of what has happened so far: 

4.30PM

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald has again stood by the decision on social media, this time in response to Newcastle Greyhounds chairman Brett Lazzarini’s criticism that he had no notice the ban was coming. 

Mr MacDonald says the Special Commission of Inquiry into Greyhounds had been underway for half a year before today’s announcement.

On the other hand Maitland trainer Anne Foley tells Brodie Owen she will support anyone fighting to save the industry in NSW. 

“I’ve been in the industry all my life,” Ms Foley said. 

The 33-year registered trainer said she would “back the industry to try and keep greyhound racing”. 

“As I said mate, would you like something ripped away from you that you love?”

4.20PM 

The ACT government says it can no longer support greyhound racing in Canberra. 

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said on Thursday afternoon that his government would consider the NSW findings before announcing a process to end greyhound racing in the territory. 

“There is no future for this industry in the ACT,” he said. 

“The Government cannot continue to support an industry that is turning a blind eye to the sort of behaviour and cruelty uncovered by the Special Commission of Inquiry.”

That puts the ACT as the first state to indicate it may follow NSW’s lead.

Victoria has already said it has no plans to ban the sport. 

4.15PM

Harpers Hill 80-year-old Ken Cheetham, who continues to train after six decades in the industry, said he was disappointed with the decision handed down despite recent controversies in the game.

“I’ve been in the game for over 60 years and I can’t see why they are doing this to greyhound racing,” Cheetham said.

“I can’t believe it. They must be joking. Thousands and thousands of people will be out of work – not just trainers but all the people involved in food, produce, kennels, tracks.

“And they will still be racing in Queensland, Victoria, all over Australia and all over the world in the US, England and New Zealand, but not in NSW.

“It’s bloody ridiculous. I’t can’t happen. There will have to be a big protest.”

Read Josh Callinan’s full story here.

4PM

Two races have now run at Maitland, despite Greyhound Racing NSW announcing a seven-day suspension of racing “with immediate effect”.

For those keeping score, Rutland Chloe won the first race while Stanley’s Best won the second. 

The third race is scheduled to run about 4.10pm. 

Brodie Owen has spoken to greyhound owner Branko Vrbnjak at the track, who dubbed it a sad day in NSW. 

He said he was dubious about cruelty accusations, and did not believe dogs that retired should be put down. 

“I love dogs,” Mr Vrbnjak said. “That’s all I can really say.”

3.50PM

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald has offered a critic of the greyhound racing ban a succinct run-down on why the government acted. 

3.45PM

Rachelle Considine, of Islington, rescued former racing greyhound Derek in January.

But she said he had rescued her right back.

He was gentle, affectionate, and fitted in with her lifestyle.

"It is the best thing I’ve ever done. He is just beautiful," she said.

"He is the most gentle dog I’ve ever come across."

Ms Considine said many people assumed greyhounds needed a lot of exercise, but they were sprinters, not marathon runners, and they could actually be quite lazy.

"Derek often goes back to bed after I've given him breakfast," she said.

"There are so many greyhounds out there that are unwanted and need a home. If people are considering getting a dog, I’d highly recommend adopting a greyhound."

3.30PM

Greyhound Racing NSW’s call that the next week’s racing was cancelled has failed to stop greyhounds racing in Maitland. 

It is unclear whether the meet had begun before the message was sent out. 

Meets are also scheduled at Dapto and Casino on Thursday. 

3.20PM

GREYHOUND racing has been killed in NSW by a “tiny handful” of unscrupulous breeders and the agitators who triggered a parliamentary inquiry into the sport, the chairman of Newcastle Greyhounds has said.

Following Premier Mike Baird’s announcement on Thursday that greyhound racing would end in NSW, Newcastle Greyhounds chairman Brett Lazzarini said he “didn’t see this coming”.

 “It needed to be policed a lot better and all of the recent issues needed to be addressed, but I certainly didn’t see this coming,” Mr Lazzarini, the head of the Hunter’s biggest track at Birmingham Gardens, said.

Read more from Mr Lazzarini here.

3.15PM

Shooters and Fishers MLC Robert Borsak said the Baird government had dumped greyhound racing into the “too hard basket”.

"Banning greyhound racing from 1 July 2017 will abolish a billion dollar industry because Mike Baird lacks the will to tackle the difficult issues of the day,” Mr Borsak said. 

"An outright ban on greyhound racing is a huge mistake. Other sports where regulatory issues have taken centre stage have tackled them head-on without a blunt response like an outright ban.”

Mr Borsak said the ban would likely raise eyebrows in the thoroughbred racing industry, and the future of greyhound racing sites would need to be addressed. 

"The final question is whether the NSW Government be guaranteeing compensation to those involved in the industry, for job losses and loss of livelihood,” he said. 

3.05PM

GREYHOUND racing across NSW will cease “with immediate effect”, the industry’s peak body has said.

Greyhound Racing NSW said it would halt all racing for the next week after “an extremely sad day for the NSW greyhound racing industry and the people involved in it.”

The group says its staff and the wider industry are “devastated” after news greyhound racing would be outlawed from mid-2017. 

“Around our state there are many thousands of responsible participants who treat their greyhounds like family who are involved in the greyhound racing industry either through training, racing or supporting the sport,” the body said in a statement.

“These people were as dismayed as others by the exposure of completely unacceptable and inhumane practices within greyhound racing. That is why they supported the significant reforms made by Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) over the last 12 months.”

Greyhound Racing NSW said it had transformed the industry in the past 16 months, improving animal welfare and overall supervision. 

“The industry wanted to do more and was committed in doing so,” the group said.

“[The Baird government] has come to a different conclusion, one that will rock industry participants and associated communities around our state, as well as the hardworking GRNSW team and its partners who have been working tirelessly to improve the industry.”

3PM

Those calls for a broader ban appear to be falling on deaf ears. 

AAP reports: The boss of Queensland's biggest greyhound group has condemned the decision to shut the NSW industry as a stitch up based on half-truths.

Queensland Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association president Brenton Wilson said he was appalled at the decision, which appeared to have no genuine basis.

"To say I am stunned is not the correct word. I feel like I have just gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson and then been asked to go another 10 with Ali," he said.

"This has all the earmarks of a stitch-up. If this is the standard for an industry to be shut down then a lot of other industries across Australia should be looked at."

Mr Wilson said his organisation had been working tirelessly in the past year with the Queensland government and racing officials to solve any problems.

"For instance, of the three racing codes, we are the only ones with a rehousing system. We have consistently shown we care for our animals," he said.

2.45PM

Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown says there is a vital step that has to follow banning the greyhound racing industry in NSW. 

“We must educate the public that greyhounds DO make good pets. Finding a safe home for those already in the industry is crucial... Otherwise we could easily lose more of these dogs that have already been through enough,” he said.

The RSPCA has labelled Mike Baird’s greyhound racing ban “courageous”. 

“The greyhound racing industry lost its social licence in 2015 when ABC TV’s Four Corners exposed the horrors of live baiting using footage obtained by Animals Australia and Animal Liberation Queensland,” scientific officer Dr Jade Norris said. 

“As a result, criminal investigations by the RSPCA and Police have resulted in over 50 individuals being charged over live baiting offences across three states and 179 trainers and breeders charged for exporting greyhounds to Macau. Multiple trainers have also been banned by industry regulators from training or owning greyhounds.”

Dr Norris called for other states to follow suit. 

“We urge all state and territory governments around Australia to read the Inquiry’s report and follow suit. 

“We urgently need a national approach to ending greyhound racing across Australia.”

2.40PM

Shares in Tabcorp slumped 7 per cent, or 32¢, to $4.27 in early afternoon trading.

2.30PM

FORMER Newcastle greyhounds chief executive Dave Kiernan says the industry should have challenged "incorrect" euthanasia figures harder and sooner.

Mr Kiernan, who has previously run the track at Birmingham Gardens, said he warned industry participants a "storm was coming" but nobody believed the government would shut the sport down.

"When they opened the inquiry with those figures I thought it was a fait accompli," he said.

"So I was disappointed the greyhound game didn't act early enough. I was lobbying them to lobby all the politicians because I knew we were in trouble.

"We needed to challenge those figures."

Mr Kiernan believed euthanasia rates were skewed because they were conducted over a period of 12 years.

"All these figures got thrown into a melting pot," he said.

"The fact is every 12 years a greyhound is going to be euthanasia or die of old age - that's the life cycle of a greyhound.

The former greyhound administrator questioned whether the state government had the right to shut a sport down.

"I don't think the industry is going to take this lying down," Mr Kiernan said.

"Can (the government) just bang the table like that and say we're going to do this?

"It's a really sad situation because this is a livelihood and a way of life for people. It's a bit like saying 'we're going to stop journalists from writing, we're going to stop truck drivers should stop driving' - you can't do that."

2.20PM

AAP reports acting Victorian Racing Minister Jill Hennessy says there are no plans to follow suit south of the border.

2.15PM

As NSW comes to grips with the decision to ban Greyhound racing, we look back at photos of the Hunter's racing history.

Read more here

2PM

Greyhound Racing NSW has uploaded an image detailing how the past year was “12 months of reform” for the industry.

The changes, which stretch from February 2015 to February 2016, include changes to education, research, licensing, re-homing, investigations, breeding, veterinary and general integrity. 

It has also advised anyone grappling with the changes to seek support from services Lifeline (131 114) and Beyond Blue (1300 224 636). 

A direct response to the statewide ban is yet to come. 

1.55PM

The owner of the NSW TAB, Tabcord Holdings Limited, has played down the impact of today's greyhound racing ban on its national turnover.

"NSW greyhound racing represents around five per cent of Tabcorp’s total wagering turnover," a spokesman said.

"However, Tabcorp expects a significant level of substitution will occur to other wagering product, such as thoroughbred racing, harness racing, sport and animated racing. Tabcorp’s media business, Sky Racing, will work with other Australian and international racing industry bodies to source alternative racing product." 

Here’s an overview on where greyhounds race in the Hunter.

Maitland shares the dubious honour of hosting racing the same day its demise in NSW was announced with Dapto and Casino. 

1.40PM

Trainers across the state are united in their frustration over the decision. 

Dubbo Greyhound Racing Club president Shayne Stiff has labelled the NSW government's decision to shut down the industry as “ludicrous”.

“A few people made the wrong decision but when 20 police officers do the wrong thing they don’t shut the police force down. When priests are caught doing the wrong thing they don’t shut down the catholic church so why are they shutting down this entire industry” he told the Daily Liberal.

Armidale Greyhound club has reacted to the NSW government's decision to ban greyhound racing across the state. 

Club secretary Barry Mitchell said it was disappointing the whole industry has been affected because of the acts of a few others in the sport. 

"You're are probably blaming the whole industry for something that got out of hand on a low scale," he told The Armidale Express.

"Heaps of things happen in other sports whether it is a two-legged sport or a four-legged sport but you don't penalise the whole sport because of a minor few and this is what I feel they have tried to do. 

"A lot of people agree with it but they are people who don't really understand the sport.

"Look at all sports. There is something that you could pick them up on.

"You could ban every sport you wanted."

Read more here.

1.35PM

One of Greyhound Racing NSW’s last actions before the ban was announced was prohibiting greyhounds running at Kempsey Macleay Greyhound Club “until [the body] is satisfied that issues regarding track safety at the club are adequately addressed”.  

Safety issues including the running rail, track surface and catching pen were identified as putting the animals “at risk of serious injury”.

In its Wednesday statement announcing the sanction Greyhound Racing NSW said it recognised “the future of greyhound racing in NSW is dependent on safeguarding greyhound welfare and that includes making difficult decisions in order to prevent or substantially reduce the risk of on-track injuries and related euthanasia.”

1.30PM

One local former breeder, who "got out" following last year's expose of endemic live-baiting practices, said the ban would affect thousands of jobs and "thousands and thousands" of dogs. 

"They must have thought long and hard about doing this," he said. 

1.15PM

SMH reports: Asked how much in gambling revenue the State Government would forego when the ban is introduced from July 1 next year, NSW Premier Mike Baird responded that the annual figure was about $30 million.

"But this is not an economic decision," he said. 

"This is an animal welfare decision and it's one that is very, very difficult to make, but it's the right thing to do."

Steve Coleman, the CEO of RSPCA NSW, welcomed the ban on greyhound racing in NSW, saying: "This day is historic".

"This day will go down ... as one of the biggest improvements in animal welfare in this state," he said.

"We can only hope that other jurisdictions look upon this decision very, very seriously."

"It's monumental, and I can only hope that this reverberates around the country," he said.

"The only way to stop live-baiting, and we've seen those disgraceful images, is to end greyhound racing, not just in NSW, but indeed the country."

NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant said while greyhound racing would be banned in NSW from July 1, 2017, punters in NSW would still be able to place bets on interstate or international races.

He said the "gaming arrangement wouldn't be impacted in relation to what happens off- shore, interstate".

1PM 

Some of the reaction from social media

12.50PM

Tony Edmunds, the Maitland Greyhound Track operations manager for the Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association, says Maitland will "not be commenting locally" on the sport's NSW ban.

Humane Society International says it is “thrilled” with the announcement. 

"HSI have strongly advocated for an end to greyhound racing in NSW and Australia and are excited to have such a tremendous victory for greyhounds today,” director Verna Simpson said.

"We hope that other States will soon follow suit, and we will continue to advocate for a nationwide ban on Greyhound racing.”

The body's Sydney head office has told local branches that chief executive Brenton Scott will release a statement on the ban shortly.

SMH reports NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant has told media the NSW Government would bring in legislation to ban greyhound racing in NSW on the first sitting day.

The changes would ban the "breeding, racing" and presence of greyhounds in NSW.

"I'm asking the industry not to panic," Deputy Premier Troy Grant said.

He said the government had set up a call centre for those seeking more information, on 1800 812 115.

Mr Grant said he understood many people in NSW were "devastated by this news".

He also revealed his cousin worked in the greyhound industry.

"I saw how much love and care he [his cousin] gave to his own greyhound, but there are too many of those in the industry for financial gain and for whatever reason, chose to put animal welfare as their least consideration in their own pursuit of profit."

12.40PM

Brodie Owen: NEWCASTLE trainer Ron Bell says he is in "absolute disbelief" greyhound racing in NSW is set to be shut down.

"I think you can judge by my response that I'm in absolute disbelief," he said.

"We had no idea this was coming - we thought all of this was behind us - I'm absolutely flabbergasted.

"We had reformed. The industry had brought through all these changes and we were moving on. 

"Then they come out of the blue and do this ... people's lives depend on this."

Mr Bell - who is on the board of the Birmingham Gardens greyhound track - said many people would be out of work.

"They are lovely people, but I worry about what's going to happen to them now this has happened. Where are they going to go?" he said.

"The Premier has announced he's going to do this - I hope we fight it, but it seems final. It seems over.

"I just wonder what is going to happen to the horse and trot industry - are they going to be banned as well?"

12.30PM

Greens NSW animal welfare spokeswoman Dr Mehreen Faruqi has dubbed the ban “a win for animals”.

“This is absolutely incredible and in many ways unprecedented news,” she said. 

“Animal welfare activists have worked tirelessly for this outcome for so many years. I must pay credit to the NSW Government for taking this long overdue step.”

She said the decision was a fitting tribute to the late Dr John Kaye, who sought an end to NSW greyhound racing. 

“The report states what many of us already knew; there was no way greyhound racing can operate without the extreme animal cruelty that the Special Commission report has shown,” Dr Faruqi said.

12PM

Dan Proudman: NSW Premier Mike Baird has announced that greyhound racing will be banned in NSW from next year following a damning report on the industry.

Mr Baird said the ban was “in response to widespread illegal and unconscionable activity, including the slaughtering of tens of thousands of dogs’’, and followed the establishment of a Special Commission of Inquiry into the industry.

The inquiry’s commissioner, the former High Court Judge Michael McHugh, made a series of damning findings in his 800-page report which was also released on Thursday.

The ban will begin from July, 2017.

In a Facebook post, Mr Baird said some of the findings included:

“One of the issues we have had to wrestle with is the positive impact of the greyhound racing industry,’’ Mr Baird said.

“There are over 1000 direct jobs in the industry and nearly 6000 registered owners of greyhounds. Dog racing can be an important part of the social fabric of regional towns. And, of course, having a punt on the dogs over a few beers is good fun for many people.

“So, as Mr McHugh asked, do such benefits of the dog racing industry outweigh the shortcomings?

“Based on this report, the Government believes they do not.

“Greyhound racing has been banned in many countries and many states of the US and is legal in only eight countries around the world. NSW will be the first state in Australia to ban it.

“Over the coming months, we will consult with the industry to help minimise the pain as best we can for the innocent industry participants as we work towards an orderly industry shutdown.

“We will develop a strategy to work with the RSPCA to manage the welfare of existing greyhounds. And the transition arrangement for Greyhound Racing NSW assets (like greyhound racing tracks) will ensure they are used for open public space, alternative sports facilities or other community use.

“I feel much empathy for innocent trainers and those who will lose their job or hobby as a result of this.

“And I understand the disappointment of people who enjoy having a punt on the dogs. But we simply cannot and will not stand-by and allow the widespread and systemic mistreatment of animals.”

You can read the full report here: http://www.greyhoundracinginquiry.justice.nsw.gov.au/

More to come