Sydneysiders and their canine companions have rallied in an inner-city park to show support for the Baird government's ban on greyhound racing.
Up to 100 people with greyhounds and other breeds along with members of animal welfare groups gathered in Newtown's Camperdown Park under grey skies on Sunday in a push to ensure the ban gets legislated in NSW Parliament next month.
Placards declaring "Ditch Foley, not the ban" were waved after NSW Labor Leader Luke Foley promised to keep the industry alive if his party wins the next election.
"It is deeply disappointing that the Labor Party and its leader Luke Foley are using this (issue) as political opportunism and are trying to overturn the ban," NSW Greens MP Dr Mehreen Faruqi told AAP on Sunday.
What people need to be working towards is for the workers in the industry getting "a fair and just assistance package and that the dogs that are left once the industry is closed are rehomed," she said.
The issue is about animal cruelty, she said.
The NSW government has refused to back down on its July 7 decision to ban greyhound racing after meeting with industry leaders.
Premier Mike Baird said he had no choice but to scrap the sport after an inquiry found up to 68,000 "uncompetitive" greyhounds had been slaughtered in the past 12 years and nearly one-in-five trainers used live animal baits.
Mr Foley said he would oppose the "elitist" decision in parliament, saying the ban was an alliance of North Shore Liberals and inner-city Greens against the ordinary people of NSW.
Dr Faruqi said the Special Commission report into the industry showed the greyhound industry was in decline and was financially unsustainable.
Plans were already under way to close 70 per cent of the state's race tracks, she said.
"We have two choices, we can have an ordered close down of the industry with workers getting assistance packages, or we can just let it deteriorate, let the cruelty go on and the workers will still lose their jobs as the industry winds down anyway."
