Racing Victoria remains firmly aligned with the Melbourne Racing Club over the process involved in a plan to have Sandown rezoned for housing ahead of a month-long hearing into the potential sale of the racecourse.
In a written submission to the Sandown Racecourse Advisory Committee (SRAC), the Victorian racing regulator confirmed its support for the MRC’s decision to explore a redevelopment opportunity.
As part of a consultation action related to a 10-year blueprint, the future of Sandown as a thoroughbred racing venue is one of the major topics in Racing Victoria’s (RV) Victorian Racing Infrastructure Paper (VRIP).
“While a final VRIP will be released in due course, RV supports the rezoning process that the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) is currently undertaking,” interim chief executive Aaron Morrison wrote in RV’s submission.
Morrison says existing city and country racetracks would be able to cover any meetings lost due to a Sandown closure towards the end of the VRIP’s decade-long timeframe.
The SRAC received 255 submissions on the Sandown proposal as it prepares for a hearing to run from August 19 until September 16. At least two days of the hearing will be held in nearby Dandenong.
Under the terms of reference, the committee will only consider the redevelopment potential of Sandown.
It says the future of thoroughbred racing at Sandown will be made by RV and the MRC membership.
“Both RV and MRC agree that any future move to cease racing at Sandown must be in the best interests of the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry and will require a vote from the MRC members,” the submission read.
RV was linked to the financial implications of a possible Sandown sale when former chief executive Andrew Jones said proceeds would help fund a new racing facility on Melbourne’s northwest outskirts.
But MRC chairman Matt Cain told a members' forum in May that there is no such deal with RV.
“There is no definitive amount of money promised to Racing Victoria,” he said.
Cain said Racing Victoria has an agreement to work in the “best interests of the racing industry and our members to ensure the best outcome”.
“That’s as far as it goes. The reports, the numbers, they’re false. They’re not privy to the information to the communication we have with Racing Victoria,” he said at the time.
Warwick Barr
SRAC must submit a report with recommendations to the Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, within 30 business days of the end of the hearing or receipt of further information directed by the committee.
The Minister will make the final decision in November on whether the draft Amendment should proceed and in what form.
Sandown is situated on 112 hectares and the MRC’s plan provides for 7500 new homes, 20,000 square metres of commercial space and more than 20 hectares of public space including a school and community facilities.
The MRC has been urged to meet with Greater Dandenong Council (GDC) and other key government agencies before the hearing gets underway to resolve “outstanding matters and issues” involving rezoning plans.
In its submission, the council said there hadn’t been enough information about the impact of potential flooding and stormwater damage on the racecourse land.
Warwick Barr
Prominent racing industry submissions also included responses from the Australian Trainers Association and the Victorian Jockeys Association, as well as trainers Fran Houlahan, Pat Carey and Amy Yargi.
“As it is owned freehold, it is not subject to the whims of politicians in the future, who have demonstrated their willingness to tear up contracts,” Houlahan wrote.
“The sale of Mentone and then Epsom was supposed to future-proof the industry, yet here we are again. Protect racing by keeping Sandown, intact as it is. The future is unknown.
“I’m sure that the current government would like to have all the land that leaders with vision had put aside, for future rail and road projects, but was sold for short-term gain.
“We would never need it, we were told. Never is a long time. Visionaries built Sandown. It must be kept at all costs.”
“We would never need it, we were told. Never is a long time. Visionaries built Sandown. It must be kept at all costs." - Fran Houlahan
Carey said it was wrong of MRC directors to push forward the process of rezoning without asking members to vote on the idea.
“The MRC committee are purely custodians of the day, acting on behalf of the members … Sandown racecourse was given to the (then) VATC and in turn became the property of Melbourne Race Club as custodians,” he wrote.
“Any decisions made by the (committee) should reflect a vote of the members - a vote that has not been conducted.
“So in the process, this is a fundamentally flawed advancement from the MRC to conduct this application on behalf of the members without adhering to a vote in the first place.”
Warwick Barr
While the future of thoroughbred racing has been a central issue of the Sandown controversy, an overwhelming majority of the submissions came from motorsport fans.
Motor racing has been an integral part of Sandown’s history with the 3.104km circuit hosting a round of the Supercars Championship.
“It was established long before the houses started crowding in,” Jack Perkins, son of V8 touring cars legend Larry Perkins, wrote.
“This is a case of the venue was here first. Don’t take it away from us.”
