Rosehill racecourse redevelopment: What Lang Walker and Meriton’s Harry Triguboff say about the plan

Two of the biggest names in property development have told The Telegraph what they think of the proposal to turn Rosehill racecourse into a mini-city.

Two of the biggest names in Australian property development — Lang Walker and Harry Triguboff — say they want to get involved in what the Premier calls a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to replace Rosehill Gardens racecourse with a new mini-city.

On Wednesday, The Daily Telegraph revealed Chris Minns and the Australian Turf Club had signed a memorandum of understanding to sell off the track and build a school, metro station, entertainment facilities and 25,000 homes at a time when additional supply is desperately needed.

Mr Walker — the billionaire developer who transformed Parramatta’s rundown CBD and the toxic Rhodes peninsula — said that Rosehill was “a perfect blank canvas in a prime location to create a vibrant metropolis.

“Density done well is the key to successful place-making, and that means delivering quality sustainable architecture complemented by infrastructure which brings connectivity, education, shops, open spaces and recreation areas,” Mr Walker said.

Mr Triguboff, the billionaire managing director of Meriton, said: “It’s a good idea to develop Rosehill.

“We are interested because we have had great success developing in Parramatta.

“But we will wait until the government can clarify when and what they would approve on the site, and provide a timeline for racecourse relocation.”

Developers Harry Triguboff (left) and Lang Walker are enthusiastic about plans to transform Rosehill Racecourse into a new suburb.

The initial indications are that racing would move to other tracks by the end of the decade.

Mr Triguboff also said: “Nothing is being done in the east, where the Premier said development should go.”

Mr Triguboff wants to build tens of thousands of homes at Little Bay.

Mr Minns described the plan as a “once in a generation opportunity”.

The sale of Rosehill has been estimated to potentially generate as much as $5 billion for the ATC, which would be ploughed back into the local racing industry.

Sources suggested the total value of the new community, once completed, would be $20bn or more.

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said: “An additional metro station at Rosehill finally puts the ‘west’ in Sydney Metro West and starts to address the huge 7km station gap.”

Urban Taskforce CEO Tom Forrest said putting a metro station at Rosehill means: “The Minns government understands that metros are about unlocking housing supply, not meeting random benchmarks for journey times between Parramatta and the city”.