The conditions that could deliver Sydney’s new Rosehill mini-city

Former Racing NSW chairman John Messara says ambitious housing development plans for Rosehill Racecourse will fail unless the racing industry is given an “equally great” replacement for the western Sydney track.

In his first public comments about the Australian Turf Club (ATC) plans to sell the prized 60-hectare site to developers in deals worth at least $5 billion, the respected racing figure said offloading the racecourse “should be considered” and members might be inclined to vote for the sale should there be a replacement track nearby.

Former NSW racing chairman John Messara.Credit: Louise Kennerley

“The possible sale of Rosehill came as something of a shock to me, and to everyone else. It is, after all, one of our two most important racetracks in NSW,” Messara said.

“However, if it’s possible to replace Rosehill with an equally great track and facilities in the same area, then and only then should the proposal, as a whole, warrant consideration.

“Naturally, whatever is done has to be subject to ATC members’ approval.”

The ATC lodged an unsolicited proposal with the state government which would see the club sell Rosehill to make way for 25,000 homes, as well as a Centre of Excellence training and stabling facility at Horsley Park and upgraded facilities at Warwick Farm, Canterbury Park and Royal Randwick racecourses.

The club also wants “the establishment of a Metro West station at Rosehill Gardens, support to identify a suitable location for a new racetrack and access to the necessary land at Horsley Park”.

The Labor government has said a metro station would be built at Rosehill if the housing development proceeds. There is bitter division within the industry, with some of racing’s most influential figures – including Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys and champion trainer Gai Waterhouse – pitted against each other.

On Monday, ATC chairman Peter McGauran wrote to members, saying the ATC board would recommend the proposal to its members if its due diligence showed it could deliver a track elsewhere, leisure facilities for members at all ATC venues and better raceday facilities.

Messara said the importance of Rosehill to the industry should not be underestimated.

“There’s a lot of tradition and history tied up in that area, and that’s something that racing people value,” he said. “Having said that, if someone’s going to give you squillions of dollars more than you ever thought it could have been worth, and that money would enable you to do great things for the industry, I accept that.

“The sale has to be considered, but there needs to be a replacement track in the same sort of region of the same type of quality as this.”

As for the replacement track, the brick pit site at Sydney Olympic Park has been mentioned. However, it is home to an endangered species of green and golden bell frog.

When asked if the government had plans to provide the ATC with an alternative location, a spokesperson for Racing Minister David Harris said: “These are matters for the ATC and its members.”

ATC members are expected to vote on the proposal later this year.

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