'Win for animals': Greyhound racing ban bill passes in NSW upper house

Legislation to ban greyhound racing in New South Wales has passed through the state's upper house, despite claims the Baird government is being "undemocratic".

The NSW Greens have welcomed the development, calling it a win for animals.

The legislation passed through parliament's Legislative Council late last night and will now go to the lower house for debate.

Greens NSW MP Mehreen Faruqi said it was a historic day.

"This is a win for animals and for many in the community who have campaigned for the end of the cruel greyhound racing industry for many decades," she said in a statement.

Under the government's proposed new laws, anyone caught organising a greyhound race after July next year will face a maximum $11,000 fine or up to one year in jail.

Liberal MP Duncan Gay successfully sought to declare the Greyhound Racing Prohibition Bill as urgent before introducing the legislation to the upper house on yesterday.

The move to fast-track the bill was labelled a "farce" by Labor's Peter Primrose, who said the opposition was given a copy of the legislation just 10 minutes before parliamentary proceedings commenced.

Dr Faruqi called Labor's efforts to stymie the bill "sad".

She said the Greens had concerns about the bill allowing dogs to be exported, but the government had made a good decision to shut down the industry.

"Once we ban the commercial greyhound racing industry, the vicious cycle of massive overbreeding and killing of dogs will end," Dr Faruqi said.

With AAP.