There have been renewed calls for the permanent closure of a controversial greyhound track west of Brisbane, dubbed “Australia’s deadliest”, following the deaths of two dogs in three days over the past week.
Dainty Dottie was euthanised after breaking her leg at the Q1 track on Friday, two days after You Tell Her was fatally injured on the same track.
According to the Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds’ tracking, that brings the death toll at The Q to at least 40 since the first trial races in March last year. In that time, stewards reports show 1492 greyhounds have been injured at the three-track complex.
Last year, an independent report found faulty track designs contributed to deaths at the facility, yet racing at The Q has continued.
The $90 million greyhound racing hub at Purga, just south of Ipswich, opened last year at a cost of about $90 million.
CPG president Amy McMahon said quarterly injury reports for January-June 2026 remained hidden, and called on Racing Queensland and the state government to reveal the injury data.
“The latest shocking death at The Q is another reminder of what a disaster this taxpayer-funded folly has become,” she said.
“Two dogs killed in three days. At least 40 dogs killed since the first trials. There are no limits to the amount of carnage and cruelty that the complex is inflicting on greyhounds.
“Promoted as the world’s safest and most advanced racing complex, The Q is just a graveyard for these beautiful and innocent dogs.
“Almost exactly a year ago an investigation into The Q revealed a litany of serious issues. Nothing has changed. We can’t give The Q any more chances while it keeps killing dogs.”
Racing Minister Tim Mander was asked a series of questions, including whether the Crisafulli government had done enough to ensure animal safety, whether there was a threshold for race suspensions and what had been done to improve track design at The Q to make it safer for dogs since the deaths started.
Mander’s one-line response shed little light on those issues.
“While The Q was commissioned, designed and built under the former Labor government, the Crisafulli government is making sure that all steps are taken to ensure animal welfare standards are upheld,” he said.
While The Q was a Labor initiative, the LNP government oversaw its opening and has had oversight during every dog death at the venue.
Comment was sought from Racing Queensland on Tuesday.
Labor MP Jennifer Howard, whose electorate takes in the Purga track, has pushed her party to take a greyhound ban to the next election – a position Labor leadership has dismissed out of hand.
Across the border, Greyhound Racing NSW has proposed a $70 million, three-track gambling and racing complex at Richmond, west of Sydney, to replace Wentworth Park.
“The deaths of Dainty Dottie and all the other greyhounds are a warning to NSW of what to expect,” MacMahon said.
“All greyhound tracks kill and maim, and cause gambling harm to communities. A ‘mega-complex’ only results in extreme death and suffering.”
Racing at The Q had to be suspended last year after the first deaths at the facility and internal RQ documents, obtained by this masthead through Right to Information legislation, revealed there were secret plans to move the greyhounds back to inner-city Albion Park if the deaths continued.
New Zealand banned greyhound racing in August, with Tasmania making moves to follow suit.
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