Grant warns of greyhound blackout

NSW Deputy Premier and racing minister Troy Grant hasn't entirely ruled out a temporary shutdown of the greyhound industry as he attempts to get to the bottom of the live baiting saga that has rocked the sport this week.

A further NSW-based industry participants were stood down on Wednesday before Mr Grant announced later that evening that the five-member board of Greyhound Racing NSW and chief executive Brent Hogan had also stood aside pending an investigation by Justice Michael McHugh.

"It is clear self-regulation under the current structure and culture within greyhounds has failed," Grant said in a statement.

In the interim the responsibilities of the day-to-day running of the industry will fall to Paul Newson, an executive director with the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.

A segment on the ABC's Four Corners program on Monday night exposed the process, known as 'blooding', where trainers were secretly filmed using live rabbits, piglets and possums to train their greyhounds.

It sparked outrage among the industry and the greater community, with Mr Grant promising to do everything he can to get to the bottom of the matter.

When asked if he could ensure greyhound racing will continue as scheduled, he made no promises.

"Race meetings are largely run by clubs and schedules are fixed, and I'm mindful of not tarring everyone in the industry with the same brush as the majority of people in the industry are similarly appalled at what was aired on Monday night," Grant said.

"There are 15,000 people employed or engaged in the sport, and by-and-large the majority of them do the right thing.

"Ideally we won't be interfering with the racing schedule but there is an investigation under way and if new things emerge from that then I wouldn't rule out shutting things down so we could sort it out once and for all."

"I want to make sure this investigation is thorough and make sure the good people involved in the sport can continue to enjoy greyhound racing in a humane way with no stigma associated.

"Allegations and innuendo have plagued the greyhound racing industry for decades and it is time we ended that speculation to ensure the sustainability of the industry, and the welfare of animals is paramount."

One matter Mr Grant didn't wish to comment on was the manner in which the vision was obtained.

The clandestine footage was obtained by animal rights groups from private training tracks in NSW, Queensland and Victoria without the knowledge of the participants, which has raised the issue of trespassing in some sections of the media.

"The way the material was obtained is a matter for the McHugh Investigation to sort out so I'm not going to comment on that," he said.

"All I will say is that the vision is out there and can't be ignored. What has been happening is a matter of animal welfare and something we take very seriously.

"There's no timeframe on this review, which will develop a new model of governance to ensure the integrity of the industry, and also ensure the abhorrent practice of live baiting is stamped out for good."