Australian Turf Club chairman Peter McGauran says the club will take its time to consider the Select Committee report into Rosehill, despite claiming the inquiry had become “politicised”.
The Committee’s final report was released on Friday, and among its findings, it criticised the process the ATC undertook and the way it communicated to its members.
In a letter to members on Friday, McGauran said the ATC would continue to work through its due diligence ahead of a member vote on the potential sale of Rosehill on April 3.
Among the findings were that the unsolicited proposals process guidelines had been breached when a public announcement was made by Premier Chris Minns and McGauran in December - before stage one of the unsolicited proposal process.
McGauran said the club was comfortable with its action, but respected the report’s process and would consider its outcomes in time.
“ATC has at all times, fully co-operated with the Legislative Council committee and will take time to consider its report in detail,” he said.
“ATC directors and management will continue to work on the potential development of Rosehill, in preparation to putting the proposal to a vote of members.
“We have at all times complied with proper governance internally, with government departments and the government itself throughout.”
He said the potential sale was “a unique and complex proposal; unlike anything the ATC, or in fact anyone, has attempted in Australia”.
The Select Committee report said it had not received evidence that “on 26 October 2023 the Australian Turf Club had any accurate, verifiable basis to believe that 40,000 dwellings would secure a metro station at Rosehill”.
ATC executive Steve McMahon has maintained that calculation and his previous discussions with planning and transport officials were the basis of the decision to approach the state government with the proposal in the first place.
Bren O’Brien
The full ATC board was informed of the plans several weeks later, while members were not advised until December 7. This timing was also criticised.
“Communication between the Australian Turf Club, its board and members, and the general public should have been better managed throughout the whole process,” one finding read.
The suitability of the Brick Pit site and other potential relocation areas were also criticised in the Committee’s findings.
McGauran said that while the ATC had co-operated with the inquiry, he felt it ”at times drifted away from the core issues and became politicised”.
Staff Writer
While a recent board election proved a victory for those opposed to the sale proposal, the ATC will press on with its member vote next year.
“We are committed to continuing due diligence to give members full and detailed information before they vote at an extraordinary general meeting on April 3, 2025,” McGauran said.
Meanwhile, the media leak this week, which suggested that Premier Chris Minns would be referred to ICAC, will be itself referred to the parliamentary Privilege Committee.
Committee chairman Scott Farlow said in his introduction to the report that it was disappointing that the findings had found their way into the public domain.
“It is disappointing that this legitimate step of the committee was disclosed to the media prior to the tabling of this report, and the committee has resolved to request that the president refer this matter to the Privileges Committee,” he wrote.
Bren O’Brien
The actual detail of the finding was that the report itself would be referred to ICAC, not the Premier.
The other matter from the inquiry referred to the Privileges Committee for a possible contempt of parliament was a submission by Racing NSW in the aftermath of the second public hearing, when chief executive Peter V’landys and chief operating officer Graeme Hinton appeared.
