Inquiry could delay Rosehill plans but ATC ‘happy to cooperate’

The parliamentary inquiry set up into the proposal to sell and redevelop Rosehill racecourse could be set to delay the plans of the Australian Turf Club and the NSW government, with a November 30 deadline set for the Select Committee to report.

The ATC submitted its Unsolicited Proposal to the NSW government on March 28 with an initial timeline expected on a possible outcome for the proposal set for the end of this year.

However, that could be significantly delayed after the NSW Upper House this week voted to establish a nine-person Select Committee, to be chaired by Shadow Minister for Planning Scott Farlow.

The deadline for the Committee to report back to parliament is November 30, with several key aspects of the Rosehill proposal to be included in the inquiry’s remit.

The inquiry’s scope includes the nature of the unsolicited proposal, the involvement of the NSW Government prior to the proposal being put forward, the proposal’s role in meeting state housing targets, and the impacts of both the Sydney Metro and parkland in Western Sydney.

It will also consider the impact on the racing industry in NSW and the impact on animal welfare and any integrity concerns associated with the proposal which relate to animal welfare.

The deputy chair of the nine-person Committee will be Emma Hurst of the Animal Justice Party. She spoke in support of the motion to establish the inquiry this week, raising her concerns about the state of the NSW racing industry.

Overall, the Committee will comprise three government members of the Upper House, three opposition members and three crossbench members, being Hurst, Greens representative Cate Faehrmann and independent Taylor Martin, who was expelled from the Liberal Party last month.

Farlow will form a proposed witness list which will be circulated around Committee members, with equal time for questions allocated at the inquiry between Opposition, crossbench and Government members.

The hearing will be public with evidence, answers to questions and full transcripts to be published, subject to “confidentiality and adverse mention”.

An ATC spokesperson told The Straight they are “only too happy to cooperate with the Parliament”.

Independent MP Mark Latham, who has been a stern critic of the ATC proposal, will not be on the Committee. He said in parliament this week that he was a ‘sacrificial lamb’ as “The Greens wouldn’t wear me being on the committee”.

‘A multi-billion dollar proposition should not be drawn up on the back of a napkin’ – NSW parliament to hold inquiry into Rosehill

The Rosehill sale process and the operations of the Australian Turf Club and Racing NSW are set to be scrutinised after the NSW Legislative Council established a parliamentary inquiry.

The StraightBren O’Brien

However, Latham continued his strident criticism of Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys in NSW parliament, using parliamentary privilege to describe him as a ‘dictator’.

“Like all dictators, V’landys does not tolerate dissent and is most comfortable when surrounded by compliant dullards. The long-term consequences of that for the industry are horrendous,” Latham told parliament late on Wednesday,

Racing NSW lobbied government on Rosehill proposal ahead of public announcement

Peter V’landys met with representatives of the NSW government to express his support for the sale of Rosehill while raising concerns about the Australian Turf Club’s board structure weeks before the contentious proposal was announced.

The StraightBren O’Brien

Latham also focussed on Racing NSW’s property portfolio, characterising the regulator as the “State’s biggest real estate agent”.

“The multimillion-dollar real estate splurge has unfolded while Racing NSW has left other significant racing assets in a disgraceful state of disrepair,” he said.

The Upper House MP lamented the lack of investment at Warwick Farm, which he says has been left as “a museum from the 1970s” and linked the real estate strategy to “the fiasco of the sale of Rosehill racecourse and the wacky brick pit proposal”.

“Racing NSW has been a huge beneficiary of the rivers of gold that have come from the corporate wagering arrangements while the clubs themselves have been starved,” he said.

‘All tip, no iceberg‘ – Latham launches extraordinary parliamentary attack on ‘part-time’ Peter V’landys

MP Mark Latham has told NSW Parliament that the state’s thoroughbred racing industry “deserves better” in a stunning attack on Racing NSW’s hierarchy.

The StraightBren O’Brien

“There is an urgent need to democratise the industry, giving all stakeholders a real say and to re-empower the race clubs with their own guaranteed revenue streams from the corporate wagering rivers of gold.

“It would be wise indeed to reform the Racing Act now to overcome the mistakes of the past decade and give this important industry a more sustainable structure and management style.

“I look forward to the work of the Rosehill inquiry. Given it is a real estate deal, they should be looking closely at some of the other finances of Racing NSW.”