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SAVE ROSEHILL GROUP WELCOMES INQUIRY REPORT CALLS FOR ATC TO WITHDRAW FROM SALES PROCESS
The Save Rosehill Group today welcomed the key findings and recommendations of the NSW Legislative Council’s Select Committee Inquiry into the proposal to develop Rosehill Racecourse, including setting up an inquiry into the operations of Racing NSW and a review of the Racing Act.
The Committee found that the manner in which the Government announced the proposal to develop Rosehill Racecourse was in breach of the unsolicited proposals guidelines and referred aspects of the matter to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
Save Rosehill’s submission to the inquiry and evidence its members gave highlighted its misgivings about how the proposal came about, how it was communicated by the Government and by the Chair and CEO of the ATC, including that some ATC Board members appeared to publicly and privately endorse the proposal before any due diligence had occurred and before there had been any consultation with the members. The Committee’s findings endorsed and expanded on these misgivings.
Save Rosehill’s submission also highlighted its concern that Racing NSW attempt to divert the majority of the revenue the ATC would be due (if its premier asset were sold) “represents a bid for further consolidation of power and financial resources in the industry on the part of Racing NSW, and denies the central role of clubs in the generation of wagering revenue”. Save Rosehill said it therefore welcomed the Committee’s recommendations that the Legislative Council consider establishing an inquiry into the operations of Racing NSW and that the NSW Government conducts a thorough review of the Thoroughbred Racing Act 1996.
According to a disclosure by Racing NSW to the Upper House inquiry, the minutes of its board meeting held on 21 November 2023 said this about the proposed sale of Rosehill: “Having further considered the matter the Board resolved to endorse the proposal in principle subject to further negotiations with NSW Government. Further, Racing NSW to have oversight over the majority of the proceeds of the sale after providing a reasonable sum to the ATC (with a proviso that those funds only be used for racing and racing infrastructure).“
However, at the ATC’s AGM on Thursday, 28 November 2024, the ATC’s Chair, Mr Peter McGauran (in response to questioning) was still insisting that the “bulk of the money will come to us” and that the ATC would make some accommodation for the industry. Save Rosehill said that the evidence unearthed by the Inquiry showed unequivocally that ATC members could have zero confidence that a government-driven process overseen by Racing NSW was in the best interests of the ATC and its members. The Select Committee also found the Brick Pit site at Homebush was not a viable alternative to Rosehill Gardens saying, “The committee shares the incredulity of a number of witnesses that the Brick Pit could even have been proposed as an option”.
“We believe that there is now overwhelming evidence that the best interests of Australian Turf Club members and the wider racing industry can only be served by the ATC board withdrawing from this highly flawed, controversial and potentially corrupt process,” Ms Julia Ritchie said.
The Save Rosehill campaign is supported by many highly respected leaders in the racing industry who are also members of the ATC, including Julia Ritchie (ATC Vice Chair), Debbie Kepitis, Matt McGrath (former ATC Chair), Frank Cook, Greg Kenny (former STC Vice Chair), Neil Werrett, Annette English, David Walter and Jason Abrahams.
To view the full report, click HERE
For further information:
Gabriel McDowell
+61 417 260918
gmcdowell@respublica.com.au
ATC Election: A Win for Transparency
The ATC board election was a closely contested affair with the highest voting turnout most members can remember. Annette English secured one of the two spots, with the other one going to Tim Hale by a nose, who has also recently been highly critical of the process to sell Rosehill. Our other candidate, David Walter finished with the 3rd highest vote.
Our thanks to everyone who voted for Annette and David, and we look forward to an opportunity to vote for David at the next ATC election. Also, we look forward to more transparency and accountability from the Board as a result of last week’s election.
Public hearing - Select Committee on the Proposal to Develop Rosehill Racecourse
Evidence given by Kiersten Fishburn, Secretary of the Department of Planning, is well worth listening to because it confirms the Brick Pit at Homebush is not an alternative to any development and questions the narrative of how the total redevelopment of Rosehill Gardens came into play. Evidence given by Terry O’Brien of the Office of Racing confirms its very limited role in any meaningful discussion of strategy in racing’s future and the Premier’s Chief of Staff evidence creates even more questions than answers about how this proposal actually came about.
ATC and the future of Rosehill
The future of Rosehill Gardens is the single most important issue impacting the future of thoroughbred racing in NSW, so Save Rosehill is encouraging members to ask ATC Board candidates to be fully explicit about their position on the proposal to sell Rosehill Gardens. No evidence has yet emerged of a viable alternative to Rosehill Gardens, if it were to be sold for development, and we know that first-class racing in metropolitan Sydney cannot prosper without a second Group-One quality track alongside Royal Randwick.
It is Save Rosehill’s view that the ATC leadership should not have entered into a memorandum of understanding with the NSW government to sell the Club’s most important asset, without first having identified and secured another Group One racetrack in western metropolitan Sydney. As a consequence, we believe the ATC Board should withdraw from the sales process it is undertaking with the NSW Government.
In the upcoming election, we believe that candidates’ positions on the threat to sell Rosehill should be a threshold issue when members consider their vote. Save Rosehill is confident that ATC Board candidates Annette English and David Walter understand the vital importance of preserving two Group One racetracks in metropolitan Sydney and are opposed to the sale of Rosehill Gardens if there is a possibility this principle may be compromised. We believe these two candidates possess the necessary governance skills and commercial acumen to contribute to the future of our Club. We respectfully ask you to consider voting for these candidates.
The Save Rosehill campaign is supported by many highly respected leaders in the racing industry who are also members of the ATC, including Julia Ritchie (former AJC Vice Chair), Debbie Kepitis, Matt McGrath (former ATC Chair), Frank Cook, Greg Kenny (former STC Vice Chair), Neil Werrett and Jason Abrahams.
A number of leading Sydney trainers have already publicly expressed support for the campaign.
The Save Rosehill Group submission to the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry is available here: https://www.parliament.nsw.
Please feel free to contact us via hello@saverosehill.com if you wish to discuss this.
Public hearing - Select Committee on the Proposal to Develop Rosehill Racecourse
Evidence given by Kiersten Fishburn, Secretary of the Department of Planning, is well worth listening to because it confirms the Brick Pit at Homebush is not an alternative to any development and questions the narrative of how the total redevelopment of Rosehill Gardens came into play. Evidence given by Terry O’Brien of the Office of Racing confirms its very limited role in any meaningful discussion of strategy in racing’s future and the Premier’s Chief of Staff evidence creates even more questions than answers about how this proposal actually came about.
Sydney Olympic Park Authority CEO rejects ATC's endangered frog assessment
Video evidence by Sydney Olympic Park Authority CEO rejecting ATC Chairman’s assessment of the endangered frogs and why the brick pit’s development potential is so severely limited.
Errol Chant letter to the Board of the Australian Turf Club
Dear Directors,
RE: YOUR CHAIRMAN MR. McGAURAN
I refer to the recent letter to members from Mr. McGauran dated 26th August 2024 sent after evidence was recently given by a range of interested parties at the Parliamentary Inquiry.
A number of serious concerns have emerged from that evidence and Mr. McGauran’s letter including the following:-
Special report on a possible contempt in the inquiry into the proposal to develop Rosehill Racecourse
Rosehill inquiry committee asks the NSW Upper House to refer Racing NSW correspondence for investigation because it may constitute a substantial interference with the work of the committee and therefore be a possible contempt.
Latest video evidence from the NSW Select Committee Inquiry
- Julia Ritchie responds to NSW CEO accusations and Jason Abrahams explains Save Rosehill's concerns about process and governance at 05:01:53
- Racing NSW CEO makes extraordinary claims against industry participants who made submissions against Racing NSW at 02:48:00
- ATC Board members Caroline Searcy and Tim Hale on members’ frustrations, governance and valuation concerns at 01:18:00
- Racing NSW’s Garry Charny on governance challenges in racing and lack of facts about the proposed sale of Rosehill at 01:48:32
- ATC Chair Peter McGauran and key executive Steve McMahon take questions on how the proposed sale of Rosehill came about at 00:16:23
Latest from the NSW Select Committee Inquiry
- Gai Waterhouse’s powerful opening statement (00:03:15)
- Leading Trainer John O’Shea on the absurdity of selling Rosehill and industry’s broken funding model (00:09:00)
- Former AJC Chair David Hall’s perspective on the industry’s power dynamics (01:19:11)
- Thoroughbred Breeders’ Hamish Esplin on breeders’ governance concerns (05:18:00)