‘Absurd, financially irresponsible’: Racing Qld slams Greens’ plan to forcibly seize Eagle Farm for social housing project
Greens’ plan to turn Eagle Farm into a social housing development labelled ‘preposterous and financially irresponsible’ as racing industry heavyweight breaks silence.
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Racing Queensland boss Jason Scott has labelled a radical Greens plan to forcibly seize Eagle Farm Racecourse as “absurd, preposterous and financially irresponsible.”
Greens Lord Mayoral candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan has announced his intentions to compulsorily acquire Eagle Farm for affordable housing and public green space if the Greens win the looming Brisbane City Council election.
He claims about $40m in council funds would be sufficient for the plan which would also look to share housing construction costs with the State Government.
Racing Queensland, which administers racing in the state, has so far stayed out of the matter but furious CEO Jason Scott has broken his silence.
“I have tried to avoid responding to Jonathon’s ridiculous policy as not to provide it with oxygen, however with council elections around the corner it is imperative that Racing Queensland make it clear how preposterous this policy is from a financially irresponsible political party,” Scott told Racenet.
• ‘They despise racing’: Club tees off on green groups
“The racing industry is very important to this state and resuming Eagle Farm is not progress.
“Racing employs 15,000 people, is self-funding through race field fees and Point Of Consumption tax and to risk that by giving away our headquarters by resuming Eagle Farm is nonsense.
“Having two tracks (Eagle Farm and Doomben) so close to the centre of Brisbane is one of racing’s biggest assets.
“The synergies the Brisbane Racing Club receives through having one labour force is worth millions.”
Scott, a former boss of corporate betting giant Ladbrokes, insists Sriranganathan’s numbers are flimsy.
He referenced a $5 billion plan to sell Sydney’s Rosehill Racecourse, which has drawn heated debate in recent times and stiff opposition from star trainers such as Gai Waterhouse and Chris Waller.
“A $40 million valuation (for Eagle Farm) is absurd,” Scott said.
“Rosehill may be in Sydney and have a larger footprint with a huge car park, but it isn’t three kilometres from the city and can’t possibly be worth 125 times more than Eagle Farm.”
Last December, the Brisbane Racing Club teed off on green groups pushing for Eagle Farm to be sold off for affordable housing, saying it could not afford to give an inch to anti-racing ideologies.
“Let’s be frank about these comments – the Greens despise horse racing,” BRC CEO Tony Partridge wrote in a letter to members at the time.
“The Greens and these media outlets like to tell other people what to do with their property and with their leisure time. It’s their standard approach to public policy.”
Originally published as ‘Absurd, financially irresponsible’: Racing Qld slams Greens’ plan to forcibly seize Eagle Farm for social housing project
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