After ten years on the Board of Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) – six of them as Chair – Peita Duncan has today announced her departure in line with the Victorian Government’s 10-year maximum service policy for board members. She will step down on Sunday 28 September 2025.

Known as a tough and pragmatic leader with enormous courage, Ms Duncan has never shied away from the hard battles – standing up for the industry and calling out critics. But through it all, her compass has never wavered: the greyhound itself.

A now thriving code that delivers world-class racing, record wagering, and unmatched integrity and welfare outcomes, Ms Duncan has reshaped GRV and restored pride to an industry that thousands of Victorians call their own.

One of her proudest moments came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Victoria was locked down, but greyhound racing never stopped. Under her leadership, not a single day of racing was lost – safeguarding thousands of jobs, protecting the welfare of the dogs, and proving the resilience of the sport.

Ms Duncan also broke new ground for women in racing. She is one of only a handful of women ever to chair a Principal Racing Authority in Australia, and only the second female to Chair GRV after the late Jan Wilson OAM who served as Chair from 1999-2010. Her leadership paved the way for more women to take their place at the highest levels of the industry – in a sport where men and women compete on equal footing, one of the few truly level playing fields in professional sport.

“Every decision I made started and ended with the welfare of our greyhounds,” Ms Duncan said.

“I love this breed with everything I have. They are athletes, companions, and champions – and they deserved an industry that matched their heart. Together, we built that. Together, we showed the world that elite integrity, welfare and racing success can go together.”

Ms Duncan’s legacy includes:

• Championing welfare as non-negotiable, driving reforms that made Victoria the global standard.
• Launching the Dream Chasers Festival, taking greyhound racing into the sporting spotlight.
• Backing the community, from the Great Chase across Victoria for disability groups and their carers and the Good Friday Appeal to local charity partnerships that prove greyhound racing always steps up when Victoria needs it.

Ms Duncan credited the resilience and dedication of GRV staff, racing clubs, and participants as the cornerstone of the industry’s success:

“Of course, none of this was achieved alone. I have had the privilege of working alongside outstanding Board members over the years — those who have since moved on and the exceptional team I serve with today. Their dedication, debate and collective wisdom have been critical to everything we have built together.” Ms Duncan said.

“And none of this happens without the people. Our staff who work tirelessly, our clubs who bring racing to life in every corner of Victoria, and our participants who put their heart and soul into the care of their greyhounds – they are the reason this sport is thriving. I have only ever had retired greyhounds on my own couch because I do not just preach it – I live it. Up the mighty Vics.”

A new Chair will be announced by the Minister for Racing in coming weeks.