Racing Integrity

The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) is an independent statutory body which oversees the integrity and welfare standards of racing animals and participants in Queensland. The QRIC works in partnership with the industry and Crime Stoppers to monitor racing activities, uphold the Rules of Racing, safeguard the welfare of racing animals to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to compete on an even playing field. There QRIC is in place to contribute to the ongoing success of the racing industry in Queensland.  The Commission began operation on 1 July, 2016 and at this time the partnership between QRIC and Crime Stoppers also commenced.

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare can be thought of as the way an animal’s health, safety and wellbeing are affected by its physical and social environment. Health and behaviour indicators provide information about how an animal is responding to a situation, thus enabling humans to make informed decisions relating to its welfare.

When humans manipulate or limit animal’s choices in relation to its physical or social environment, the welfare of that animal must be considered. Humans have a duty of care towards these animals and the greater the level of intervention or control of an animal or its environments, the greater those responsibilities become.

Welfare includes physical and mental state. The five freedoms provide a base from which to consider the welfare of an animal:

• Freedom from hunger and thirst: by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
• Freedom from discomfort: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
• Freedom from pain, injury or disease: by providing appropriate preventative measures, along with rapid diagnosis and treatment.
• Freedom to express normal behaviour: by providing for species specific requirements with respect to space, enrichment and social needs.
• Freedom from fear and distress: by ensuring species specific conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.

The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) is charged with safeguarding the welfare of animals to ensure the integrity of the racing Industry in Queensland; and to do this we work in partnership with industry participants and the community. If you have any information about mistreatment of racing animals or wrongdoing within the sport, we urge you to come forward and report it.

You can report information about things that affect animal welfare or constitute cruelty to racing animals – like live baiting. You should also report any information you might have about criminal activity across all three codes of racing – such as race fixing, use of doping and performance enhancing substances, or illegal betting. This could also include alleged corruption by racing officials – which might include Commission employees – or allegations of impropriety against any QRIC employee.

How to report something

There are two ways of contacting us to share information:

Phone Us – 1800 333 000 24hrs per day.
Make an online report.

All information you provide to us will be treated confidentially and you can remain anonymous if you wish.

How reports are managed

Any reported information will, in the first instance, be passed  by Crime Stoppers to the QRIC Deputy Commissioner or Commissioner. Information will be assessed and a determination made about how to best deal with the matter/s.

Report corruption

If you have information or allegations relating to corruption against any employee of the QRIC, you can report this to the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) by telephoning: (07) 3360 6060 or free call: 1800 061 611.

Investigations into integrity related issues

The role of the Racing Integrity Commissioner is to identify integrity related issues and take appropriate action or actions. If the QRIC receives information or a complaint about an integrity related issue, the Commissioner may elect to:

• conduct an investigation into the matter
• refer the information (or part of the information) to another government agency better suited to investigate the matter or;
• take no further action.

If you have provided us with your contact details in relation to a report, we will usually provide you with an update about the report. It is not always possible to provide progress reports to a complainant during the course of an investigation, as this action may jeopardise the effectiveness of the investigation.

When a matter has been investigated directly by the Racing Integrity Commissioner, the Commissioner will advise the outcome of his investigation to the person who made the complaint and—where appropriate—to the Minister for Racing or the relevant industry controlling body. The Commissioner may also advise a complainant of his decision to take no further action in relation to a complaint or the information provided.

There may be occasions where the Commissioner may have to share the information with other law enforcement agencies in order to achieve the best outcome of an investigation. Disclosure of integrity related information to other bodies will be conducted in line with the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission’s privacy policy.