Fresh investigation to rezone Warwick Farm Racing Precinct into industrial innovation
Community frustrations have reached boiling point as initial plans to transform a southwest Sydney racing precinct into a thriving urban centre have been temporarily shelved with horse trainers claiming they’ve been “stuffed around”.
Liverpool
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Community frustrations have reached boiling point as initial plans to transform a southwest Sydney racing precinct into a thriving urban centre have been temporarily shelved with horse trainers claiming they’ve been “stuffed around”.
An estimated $120m vision to transform the 25ha Warwick Farm racing precinct into a sprawling commercial and residential hub – with more than 3000 dwellings across towers up to 15 storeys high – was first touted in 2019 by Liverpool Council.
The plans would also move nearby horse stables and facilities onto the Warwick Farm racecourse.
The green-light for the initial plans were delayed following flood concerns for the area – bounded by the Hume Hwy and Governor Macquarie Dr to the north, Shore St and Rosedale Oval to the east, Priddle St to the south, and the Cumberland Line rail corridor to the west.
Liverpool councillors passed a motion during a recent council meeting to further investigate rezoning the land – currently horse stables, training facilities, homes and an oval – into an industrial and innovation precinct as the plans would provide an “opportunity for renewal” and complement the Liverpool CBD.
Coordinator of strategic planning Luke Oste said the investigation would not “nullify” the previous vision for the area but rather confirm whether the “option was viable”.
“All we are seeking here is a new direction which will allow us to go and do those investigations,” he said.
While Mr Smith said planners “don’t really know yet” what an industrial or innovation precinct would look like, he said a “key change” was to move away from residential zoning due to ongoing flood concerns.
“Experts advise flood evacuations are simpler in non-residential developments, because a house is the most valuable asset you own and it’s very difficult to control people’s behaviour in a flood event,” he said.
Horse trainer Ron Leemon, said trainers and residents based in Warwick Farm have been “stuffed around” and believed council had put the project in the “too hard basket”.
“Everyone is quite over it all, we’ve had that many discussions about it and they’ve (council) done so many backflips over the years and the problem is still there,” he said.
He said Warwick Farm would be “perfect” to be transformed into a mixed-use area and the “state government is screaming to fill houses and apartments around railway stations”.
Leemon, who has owned stables on Manning St for over 40 years, has further petitioned for more than 20 years for horses to be moved onto the racecourse due to unsafe working conditions and increased traffic.
If the area turned into an industrial zone, he said the roads couldn’t handle more trucks, which pose a safety risk to hundreds of horses and trainers who walk the underpass under Governor Macquarie Dr, into the Warwick Farm racecourse.
“We have about 5000 to 6000 cars and trucks going up and down Manning St in the morning and through the night … you’re waiting for a disaster,” he said.
“We had a horse hit two years ago when one car stopped and the strapper walked the horse out but the car behind them went around and smacked into the horse and the horse has never raced again.”
Former horse trainer Mauro Polleti called the investigation “crazy” as he “didn’t see people selling their properties” for an industrial rezoning, and the proposed precinct would bring in more trucks to the congested area.
An Australian Turf Club spokesman said the club wasn’t aware of the proposal until after the council meeting.
“Now that these proposals have been made public the ATC will be looking into more detail and learning more about the proposal,” a spokesman said.
“As one of the biggest landowners in the Liverpool council area, we will look to work with the council on any sort of feasible outcome.”
The spokesman said moving trainers and facilities onto the racecourse was still feasible but was subject to funding until the club received clarity on the future plans for Rosehill Gardens.
Councillor Mazhar Hadid disagreed with the investigation and said he wanted to see Warwick Farm become a “copy of Ed Square” – a mixed use residential development across from Edmondson Park station.
“We started this process in 2008 and in 2024 we’re still talking about it … I’m retiring from politics and we’re still talking about it, what a joke,” he said.
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