Rosehill racecourse to be sold, converted to homes with Racing NSW to reinvest in other courses
Rosehill Gardens will be transformed into a new community with 25,000 homes, a metro station and a school under a plan from the Australian Turf Club being considered by the NSW government. Take our poll, tell us what you think.
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A historic deal to transform Rosehill racecourse into a 25,000-home community with a new school and Metro station while delivering billions of dollars into the racing industry could be inked as early as next year.
Premier Chris Minns said he is “very confident” the proposal - brought to government by the Australian Turf Club - will go ahead.
The unsolicited proposal will still be subject to bureaucratic checks.
“It’s clear that the ATC wants to do this … and we want it to happen as well,” Mr Minns said.
“There’s an unsolicited proposal process that we need to formally go through, and we’re both committed to that, and that should be completed we hope in 2024,” he said.
The Minns government jumped at the proposal to turn Rosehill into a new Western Sydney housing community because of the potential benefits it provides.
The Premier said redeveloping the Rosehill site is a “once in a generation” opportunity.
“This is one of the last parcels of land of any great scale that is uncontaminated from industrial waste that’s been accumulated over a long period of time,” Mr Minns said on Thursday.
Up to $5 billion could be generated for the racing industry in selling off Rosehill to developers.
That will allow the ATC to begin the process of finding space for a brand-new, world-class racecourse.
“We are on the search for a premium race course,” ATC chair Peter McGauran said.
He said the premium racecourse would only be for racing, not training, so would have a smaller footprint than other ATC sites.
Sydney racetrack’s $5bn sale to make way for 25,000 homes
Earlier, the Daily Telegraph reported that talks are now underway between the Minns government and the ATC on the “once in a lifetime” proposal which would generate billions of dollars for the industry while helping ease the housing crisis.
Under the plan, Rosehill racecourse would be sold off to develop up to 25,000 new homes, a new school, entertainment facilities and green space.
The development would be supported by a new station on the Metro West line between Parramatta and the CBD.
The sell-off has the potential to generate up to $5 billion for the ATC, which would be reinvested back into the racing industry.
Premier Chris Minns will on Thursday announce that his government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the ATC on the historic plan.
“Look it’s a massive deal - it certainly fixes the housing problem in Sydney”, Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys told The Daily Telegraph.
“But we have to look at it independently for what’s in the best interests of the racing industry as a whole. We have been in discussions for a few weeks and are aware of the situation.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for racing. It future proofs racing.”
Speaking on the value of the land at Rosehill, Mr V’landy said “on the low level it’s $5 billion. On a high level maybe $7 billion. And it gets 25,000 new dwellings for western Sydney.” “Just as importantly it gets a metro station. It’s a once in a generation opportunity.”
Mr V’landys said the new racecourse which will replace Rosehill is “going to be futuristic. A racecourse advanced as anywhere in the world. We’ve got a few places we’ve looked at.”
Under the plans, racing and training would move from Rosehill to other tracks across Sydney by the end of the decade.
The money gained from developing Rosehill would all be reinvested back into racing, including on upgrading Warwick Farm and Canterbury with new and bigger tracks.
Training, stabling, and spectator facilities at the racecourses would also be upgraded.
The ATC would also rebuild and expand stables and training infrastructure at Royal Randwick.
A new Centre of Excellence training facility at Horsley Park would also be built, alongside the International Equestrian Centre, to cater for current Rosehill Gardens trainers.
Under the proposal, the ATC will scour Metropolitan Sydney to find a location for a brand-new, world-class racetrack.
ATC chairman Peter McGauran said the proposal would “future-proof Sydney racing for a century to come”.
“It will cement Sydney racing as the best, most modern and financially secure jurisdiction anywhere in the world,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“There’s never been an opportunity in Sydney racing and possibly not in Australian racing of this kind,” he said.
The development will hinge on the creation of a new Metro station at Rosehill Gardens, which the Minns government has agreed to explore.
That station would be added to the $25 billion Metro West project linking Parramatta and the CBD.
The ATC had been lobbying the Minns government to add a metro station at Rosehill as part of the $25 billion Metro West line between Parramatta and the CBD. However, the Telegraph understands that adding a metro station at Rosehill would only have been feasible if the land was developed into a new housing precinct.
The unsolicited Rosehill proposal – brought to the government by the ATC – will still be subject to bureaucratic checks.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity,” Mr Minns said.
“The government sees this as an opportunity to put its money where its mouth is and build more housing, close to transport links, with plenty green space for new families,” he said.
“This is exactly the type of proposal my government has been talking about over the last 6 months.”
“The more supply we have, the more we can drive down cost of living pressures, whether it’s for renters or those wanting to buy their own home.”
The transformation of Rosehill Gardens from a racecourse into a new housing and entertainment community would force two of Australia’s biggest races – Autumn’s Golden Slipper and Spring’s Golden Eagle – to find a new home.
The Golden Slipper’s $5 million prize pool makes it the world’s richest race for two-year-olds. It was first run in 1957 and has never left Rosehill. Like the new Golden Eagle, with its $10 million in prize money, it will be moved to Royal Randwick until a replacement course is up and running.
Rosehill Gardens Racecourse was completed in 1885 and has a 2048 metre track with a 408 metre home straight. It is loved by racegoers who can get closer to the track and action than at many other courses.
The track is run by the Australian Turf Club who prepare it for its 25 race days a year and also host entertainment and events on the non race days.
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