The parliamentary Select Committee on the Proposal To Develop Rosehill Racecourse has been granted a short extension on its reporting deadline, while an additional day of public hearings is also likely to occur on October 21.
There have already been three full public hearing days by the Committee, which is looking into a raft of questions around the Australian Turf Club’s discussions with the government about the possibility of closing, redeveloping and selling off Rosehill.
The Committee’s terms of reference extend far beyond the ATC’s unsolicited proposal into aspects such as housing, animal welfare, Sydney Metro, parkland in western Sydney, but most significantly, the impacts on the racing industry in New South Wales.
That aspect has dominated much of the public hearings and discussion to date, with Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys, COO Graeme Hinton and chair Saranne Cooke all appearing as witnesses.
The Committee has devoted considerable time questioning witnesses about the power and role of Racing NSW. Last week, a written submission by Racing NSW to the Committee was referred to the parliament’s privileges committee for possible contempt.
Bren O’Brien
Several ex and current ATC board members have also appeared as witnesses, including chairman Peter McGauran, along with ATC executive Steve McMahon, widely seen as the architect of the Rosehill idea.
The Committee chair, Scott Farlow, who is also opposition planning minister, put forward a motion to extend the deadline on which the Select Committee must report, which was November 30.
It will now report to parliament on December 6
“Because of the pressure placed on Hansard by the number of committees, transcripts for past hearings have already been delayed,” Farlow told parliament.
“The secretariat advised the Committee that a short, restrained extension of six days would be advisable to allow sufficient time for the transcript to be prepared, to enable the return of questions on notice and to consider any matters raised from that return in the final report of the Committee.”
The motion was passed and the deadline extended on the Select Committee website.
What also changed was that a reserve day of public hearings scheduled for October 21, has now been officially added to the Committee schedule.
Farlow indicated in the Legislative Council that there were still people the Committee wanted to hear from who had not been available.
“The Committee has a reserve hearing day on 21 October. While the Committee has not yet met to decide on any further witnesses to appear on that day, the Secretary of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (Kiersten Fishburn) outlined before the last hearing that she was unable to attend on that date because of other engagements but would be willing to attend another hearing,” he said.
“The Committee acquiesced to that request and I will most certainly be seeking her attendance on 21 October before a committee deliberative meeting.”
It is possible that other witnesses could also be called on that day, while the Committee also has the capability to hold private hearings as well.
