Racing NSW boss V’landys weighs in on controversial Rosehill project

Racing NSW has reportedly taken over responsibility for the project surrounding the $5 billion sale of Rosehill racecourse.

Chief executive Peter V’landys says a deep dive into the financial aspects of a potential closure of Rosehill must be undertaken before a final decision is made on the racecourse’s future.

V’landys, in a rare public statement on Australian Turf Club (ATC) and NSW government plans for the western Sydney racetrack to be turned into a mini suburb, said any deal must provide significant economic benefits for racing.

“In order to make good decisions you need good information. If you don’t have good information, you make poor decisions,” V’landys told the Seven Network.

“We will do our due diligence and we will see if it is good for the racing industry and if it is we’ll certainly participate.

“But if it isn’t, we won’t.”

A 7 News report claimed Racing NSW is now at the forefront of negotiations and that the regulatory body, concerned about a lack of initial detail in the plan, wanted a fresh insight.

The report said for the deal to proceed, the racing industry would only consider a move from Rosehill on the condition that $5 billion could be raised from developers and a new racetrack could be built on an environmentally sensitive site at nearby Sydney Olympic Park.

In an announcement that shocked the racing industry, NSW Premier Chris Minns said in December that racing at Rosehill would cease in 2028 to make way for 25,000 new dwellings.

Rosehill to be sold off in shock move by ATC

Rosehill racecourse, the home of the Golden Slipper and more recently the Golden Eagle, will cease racing within five years after a shock announcement by the New South Wales government that it will acquire it from the Australian Turf Club (ATC) to build a suburb of 25,000 homes.

The StraightBren O’Brien

But the proposal has since been condemned by leading racing figures.

During an ATC members ‘ information meeting in February, Rosehill-based trainer Chris Waller and his Randwick counterpart Gai Waterhouse led an industry backlash against the sale.

Minns claimed during a joint announcement with the ATC that selling Rosehill offered a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” as NSW deals with a housing crisis.

He has since told NSW parliament that Rosehill’s future would be decided by ATC members – and not the state government.

“I made that clear when I made that announcement … this was up to the ATC and the members of the ATC to decide, not the NSW government,” he said during an estimates hearing.

“It was important, I believed, to explain to the people of NSW that we were not only receptive, but open to the offer.”

‘Not a done deal’ – NSW premier puts Rosehill call firmly in ATC’s court

The closure and redevelopment of Rosehill is far from a foregone conclusion, according to the NSW Premier.

The StraightBren O’Brien

NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman said the Rosehill plan lacked proper detail.

“What is happening at Rosehill yet seems to be another thought bubble,” he said.