Transport Minister Rita Saffioti says the government does not plan to pay Crown Perth anything for a parcel of land where the southern hairpin of the Burswood Racetrack is slated to be built, as the casino and resort’s top brass remained tight-lipped on the negotiations.

The 5.8-hectare parcel of land bought by Crown Perth 12 years ago for $60 million has become a hurdle for the WA government as it pursues its election commitment to build a $217 million racetrack and entertainment precinct on the Burswood peninsula.

Crown Perth chief executive Brian Pereira said conversations between Crown and the government over the land would remain confidential, but the company was supportive of the plans and was “working collaboratively” with the state.

Asked about Saffioti’s previous public commentary that the government would not have to pay for the land, Pereira again said he would not reveal confidential conversations.

“Conversations we have with government are confidential and will remain confidential and will remain confidential. We’ll leave that to government to comment on,” he said.

Asked about the land on Wednesday morning, Saffioti said “it’s not our plan” to buy it back.

The treasurer said design work was ongoing, but remained confident the project would come in on budget.

“We’re going through all the details in relation to the design,” she said.

“We’re very confident with the budget that we set forward and being within that budget.”

The opposition claims the $217 million price tag for the project will blow out if the government has to pay for the land.

Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas said it was time for straight answers.

“The question from me remains: ‘What’s the deal?’ We all have a right to know. Do they need extra land, and if they do, who are they getting it from and what’s the deal to get it?” he said.

“They’re not difficult questions, it’s time for straight answers.”

Saffioti has consistently said the government would not buy any land for the racetrack and the government was scrutinising a clause in the 2013 sale conditions that required Crown to develop the land – which had not yet occurred.

However, the Victorian Royal Commission into Crown Resorts 2020 report suggested the clause only allowed the government to purchase back the land and that at the time Crown was trying to remove that clause from the agreement.

The opposition has also criticised the proximity of the southern portion of the racetrack to Crown Towers pool, but those concerns were quashed by Pereira.

“The race will be once a year for a couple of days. We don’t anticipate a negative impact, necessarily,” he said.

Opponents to the project, including members of the Save Burswood Park Alliance, have raised concerns about the government’s role in implementing recommendations from the Crown Royal Commission while it was concurrently negotiating for the parcel of land.

Speaking at the launch of Crown’s new electronic gaming machine card system on Wednesday morning, Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia rubbished that suggestion.

“I’m not engaged in any negotiations around land, so that is being led by Minister Safiotti, and I’m not involved in it,” he said.

Papalia is also the responsible minister for the Burswood Park board and recently nominated former Labor minister Bill Johnston to be its president.

The board includes Pereira and Town of Victoria Park Mayor Karen Vernon, who is a vocal opponent of the racetrack.

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