Latest news with #AustralianTurfClub
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey confirms Sydney's housing ‘Plan B' won't be in Tuesday's budget
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has definitely ruled out any announcement on the government's 'Plan B' for housing in next week's budget, after a $5bn proposal to turn Rosehill racecourse into 25,000 homes was shot down. Mr Mookhey will hand down his third budget since Labor's 2022 election on Tuesday, as NSW continues to grapple with a worsening housing crisis and the fallout from a summer marred by anti-Semitic attacks. Billions of dollars in spending has already been announced ahead of the budget, expected to feature the same fiscal restraint as the previous two years, including in housing, justice reform, and Western Sydney airport. The budget comes after a majority of members from the Australian Turf Club voted down plans in May to turn the historic Rosehill racecourse in Sydney's west into a first-of-its-kind mini-city with a Metro station. Premier Chris Minns has since said the state government was working on its 'Plan B', with reports the port of Glebe Island was being eyed for housing, but has so far remained mum on what that project would be. Asked about whether the 'Plan B' for housing near Sydney's CBD would feature in the budget, Mr Mookhey on Friday told NewsWire '(in) next week's budget, we will make progress in dealing with the housing challenge'. 'We will not be sort of announcing Plan B on budget day. But we're pretty clear that we need to build more homes.' Mr Mookhey said he was 'disappointed' in the failed sale of Rosehill. 'What it means for the state is that we do need to build more homes,' he said. A raft of policy measures has already been announced ahead of the budget to target housing, including making tax cuts to build-to-rent schemes indefinite and draft guidelines for the 'build-in-kind' scheme. Despite a damaging few weeks for the Treasurer, whose workers compensation reform measures were sent back for another inquiry amid fierce push back from the Liberals, Greens, and the unions, Mr Mookhey was optimistic. Asked about the message of the 2025-26 budget, Mr Mookhey said it was about the 'future of our essential services and the future of our economy', and touted the work of the NSW Labor government until now. 'It is about making sure that we are making the right investments to deliver the world class public services that people will expect, and to make sure that the NSW economy continues to grow so we can lift people's living standards, improve their wages and create jobs,' Mr Mookhey said. 'That's been what this budget has been about, and the reason why we can now make these investments is because we've made real progress in stabilising the state's finances. 'We've inherited a $15bn deficit, which we've made good progress in turning around. We can report now for the first time in years, the NSW government is back into cash surplus. 'We can say that the debt is stabilising. We've kept our promise to keep debt at below $187bn at this point in time. So, that gives us that platform for more progress.' The budget comes after the Western Australian budget on Thursday reported a $2.5bn surplus off the back of a 2018 deal that gave it an guaranteed share of the country's GST carve-up. Mr Mookhey previously said he would advocate to the Albanese government to reform the tax allocation, which he said cost the state government $12.6bn last year – for which the state was 'still recovering'. 'It's undoubtedly the case that that remains a challenge for NSW, and it doesn't matter whether there's a Labor treasurer or a Liberal treasurer, the state would have to be dealing with that. 'Which is why I am glad that here in NSW, we do have bipartisanship about the need for GST reform. 'But, in arguing for NSW's position, I don't talk down any other states and I accept the fact that every state will always argue for what they consider to be their interest. 'I'm simply saying that there's a simpler system, that more predictable system, a more certain system that is available, and we'll continue to argue our case for change.'
Herald Sun
6 days ago
- Sport
- Herald Sun
At The Track: Decision on Leilani Lodge trainer delayed
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The protracted decision on which trainer takes over Leilani Lodge has been delayed until later this week. An Australian Turf Club subcommittee tabled a report on the famous Randwick stables last Friday that has been given to the board of directors to consider. It is expected a decision will be made by the end of the week but even that is not guaranteed given several directors are overseas. Racenet iQ members get full access to our Pro Tips service, where Greg and our team of professional punters provide daily tips with fully transparent return on investment statistics. SUBSCRIBE NOW and start punting like a pro! Ciaron Maher, the nation's premier trainer, and the high profile Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott training partnership are the applicants to take over the famous racing stables at Royal Randwick. There is also speculation about what will happen to the Crown Lodge stables at Warwick Farm and the Osborne Park training and stabling facility near Agnes Banks when James Cummings completes his tenure at Godolphin at the end of next month. Godolphin Australia supremo Andy Makiv confirmed there has been interest from 'various parties' looking to acquire the training facilities, and also their Flemington stables. 'There has been plenty of interest in those (three) properties,' Makiv said. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ The Waterhouse-Bott stable struck early on Stradbroke Day when promising stayer Campaldino won the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm. Campaldino scored his fourth consecutive win with a strong staying performance under Tim Clark to beat Etna Rosso. The striking chestnut gelding's form surge began in Orange Cup followed by a Benchmark 78 at Kensington, Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and then the Brisbane Cup, giving Waterhouse her fourth win in the Eagle Farm 'two miler'. Campaldino is now likely to be given his chance to complete the rare Brisbane Cup-Melbourne Cup double - a feat achieved only twice by Viewed (2008) and Macdougal (1959). ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Champion jockey James McDonald will have another chance to equal 'Miracle' Mal Johnston's longstanding Group 1 riding record after his second placing on Hidden Achievement in the JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm. Hidden Achievement missed the start but McDonald then rode a brilliant race with the colt emerging as a challenger halfway down the straight only for local hero Cool Archie to respond under pressure and draw clear near the line. McDonald, who had been unwell during the week and was forced to forgo his Stradbroke Handicap ride on Rothfire when he couldn't make 55.5kg, has ridden 15 Australian Group 1 wins for the season, one behind Johnston's record he set back in 1979-80 when the legendary Kingston Town was in his prime. Although McDonald has left for England where he will ride at Royal Ascot this week, he will be back for the Tattersalls Tiara on June 28. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Asfoora can join Choisir as the only Australian sprinters to win twice at England's prestigious Royal Ascot carnival when she tries to defend her title in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1000m) on Tuesday. Despite the dominance of the Aussie speedsters at Royal Ascot in the last two decades, Choisir is the only two-time winner with his famous King's Stand Stakes-Golden Jubilee double in 2003. The King's Stand, now known as the King Charles III Stakes, has since been won by Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Scenic Blast (2009), Nature Strip (2022) and Asfoora last year. Black Caviar (2012) is the only other Australian-trained sprinter to win the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (formerly Golden Jubilee) although Starspangledbanner (2010) and Merchant Navy (2018) won the race after being transferred to Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien. Asfoora's trainer Henry Dwyer told English media the mare had 'travelled over really well' and had settled back into familiar surroundings at Newmarket. Dwyer said he has decided to put the blinkers on Asfoora for Tuesday's big race on the opening day of Royal Ascot. 'I think the blinkers may have been the missing link and I've always wanted to put blinkers on her as she is quite a 'looky' horse,' Dwyer said. 'The blinkers might add that little one per cent we need.' Originally published as Ciaron Maher and the Gai Waterhouse - Adrian Bott partnership await verdict on famous Randwick stables
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Sydney is racing to build more homes as housing prices soar. But where is the land?
The city of 5.6 million people has a growing population and spiralling property and rental prices that have made it one of the world's least affordable cities. PHOTO: REUTERS Sydney is racing to build more homes as housing prices soar. But where is the land? SYDNEY – Australia's most populous and least affordable city Sydney has a problem: It desperately needs more housing but is struggling to find a large parcel of empty land on which to build it. The city of 5.6 million people has a growing population and spiralling property and rental prices that have made it one of the world's least affordable cities. But the authorities want to end the urban expansion into undeveloped or greenfield sites in the outer fringes, which has resulted in remote suburbs that are as far as 80km from the city centre and that often lack adequate services. Instead, local and state governments have been looking for large, open or convertible spaces within existing urban areas. Like Singapore, which will develop new housing precincts at Bukit Timah Turf City and the former Keppel Golf Course, Sydney planners have been on the lookout for available parcels that could be redeveloped. Turf City is set to have 15,000 to 20,000 public and private homes over the next 20 to 30 years, while the Keppel site will have about 9,000 homes. But the authorities in Sydney are struggling to find similar sites. The New South Wales Government proposed converting a racecourse, called Rosehill Gardens, into a 'mini-city' of 25,000 new homes as well as a train station. The 140-year-old racecourse spans 57ha of prime real estate, about 25km west of the city centre. The government offered A$5 billion (S$4.2 billion) – about 128 times the value of the land – to buy the racecourse from the Australian Turf Club, which owns and operates it. But the club's members voted against the proposal on May 27 in a 56 to 44 per cent vote, due to a sentimental attachment to the racecourse and concerns its loss would damage the city's racing industry. The government is now searching for a 'Plan B' to try to meet its target of building 75,000 new homes a year, to keep up with population growth and improve affordability. Various proposals have emerged, including the site of the 2000 Olympics, an inner city port, and a dilapidated former main road. NSW Premier Chris Minns on June 10 warned that Sydney was losing younger residents who could not afford to live in the city. 'Housing persistently is our biggest challenge, not just in the economy but in terms of intergenerational fairness and equity and giving young people an opportunity,' he said in a speech to business leaders. 'A city without young people is a city without a future, and the leading reason for that is we're not building enough houses.' Sydney has the most 'impossibly unaffordable' housing in the world after Hong Kong, according to the most recent Demographia International Housing Affordability report in 2024. The average prices for houses and apartments in Sydney are A$1.5 million and A$860,000, respectively, while the average rental costs A$775 a week. Associate Professor Laurence Troy, an expert on urban renewal from Sydney University, told The Straits Times that the government should compulsorily acquire the racecourse, which was one of the few remaining brownfield – underused or abandoned -– sites that could be converted into large-scale housing. 'Clearly we still need to build more housing because the population is still growing,' he said. 'We are basically running out of brownfield sites. If Rosehill is of such strategic importance, why is the government letting the land holders hold them hostage?' But Mr Minns has so far ruled out compulsorily acquiring the racecourse. A potential option could be to expand housing at the site of the Sydney Olympics, a 430ha site about 19km west of the city centre. The site currently has a mix of sports and entertainment venues, parklands, commercial developments and housing. The government is planning to build 13,000 homes on the site by 2050, but is set to fall far short of its target of 10,700 homes by 2030. The lack of development at the site has been blamed on delays due to toxic waste contamination at the site, which was formerly an industrial area, as well as insufficient transport options. Another option could be to shut the last operating port in Sydney harbour at Glebe Island near the city centre and replace the site with housing. But business groups say the port is crucial for the transport of building materials, and its closure could add to construction costs. Another proposal is to develop housing along Parramatta Road, a main road that is being superseded by new underground roadways. But experts say an impediment will be pollution from the road traffic, which could pose health problems. Professor Nicole Gurran, an urban planning expert from Sydney University, said that adding to the housing supply in Sydney did not necessarily depend on findin g a 'sugar hit' such as a racecourse. 'We have abundant zoned sites that are appropriate for housing development,' she said. However, the authorities largely left it to market forces to instigate construction. In recent years, she said, high interest rates and construction cost s have discouraged developers. 'While prices are stagnant and people are struggling to get loans, and with affordability so poor and banks so cautious to lend, it is hard to get projects off the ground,' she said. Professor Troy also said the government should focus on the type of housing it wants to build, rather than depending on the creation of a quick-fix 'mini-city'. Instead of building high-rise towers, which are less popular with families and property buyers, or large houses in greenfield sites, Sydney should build more medium-density housing – such as terraces and low-rise apartments – which are popular and can increase the city's overall housing density. 'We need to look at the spaces we have and think about how we can do it better,' he said. Jonathan Pearlman writes about Australia and the Pacific for The Straits Times. Based in Sydney, he explains matters on Australia and the Pacific to readers outside the Oceania region. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Perth Now
09-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Warning Sydney is ‘without a future'
NSW Premier Chris Minns has told business leaders Sydney will be left 'without a future' if the state government cannot deliver more housing, after a first-of-its-kind mini-city was voted down last month. The Australian Turf Club voted to reject a $5bn plan to redevelop the historic Rosehill racecourse, replete with 25,000 new homes and a metro station, which would have secured the racing club for '100 years'. Addressing more than 100 business leaders at the Shangri-La hotel on Tuesday, Mr Minns said despite the advancements made to the liveability of Sydney, 'we still lose twice as many people as we get'. 'Housing persistently is our biggest challenge, not just in the economy but in terms of intergenerational fairness and equity and giving young people an opportunity,' Mr Minns said. 'We are losing twice as many young people as we gain every single year, and that's even taking into consideration the fact that we are the largest city for inbound migration from any jurisdiction in the country. 'A city without young people is a city without a future, and the leading reason for that is we're not building enough houses.' On any 'Plan B' following the failed Rosehill vote, Mr Minns remained mum. 'But we we've got specific plans ahead,' he said. NSW Premier Chris Minns has told business leaders Sydney is 'without a future' if one important issue isn't addressed. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'We're looking forward to talking them through when we're ready to talk about them.' He noted the need for more in-fill development, and housing along train lines. Mr Minns said NSW was 'not even building enough houses in comparison to other states on the eastern seaboard', and said the government was poised to address planning laws – but, with one key hitch. He said planning was 'next cab off the rank' after workers comp reforms are passed. The state government's workers compensation reforms faced a major hurdle last week when, despite pleas to have the legislation passed before June 30, the Opposition and the Greens teamed up to send it back for an inquiry. The Opposition, along with the unions and some industry leaders, claim the reforms, while badly needed, would leave many of the most vulnerable workers without help due to changes to the WPI threshold. The WPI, or whole person impairment, would be raised to 31 per cent for a psychological injury under the planned workers compensation bill, which detractors say will leave the most injured workers at risk. Mr Minns noted in his address the 'weird coalition between the Greens, the Liberal Party and the National Party' who had opposed the proposed reforms, and called for urgent action ahead of the state budget. 'It's not my style to make these speeches or events like this political … but, the decision of the Liberals and Nationals is not the right one. It was the wrong one,' Mr Minns said. 'We're not trying to smash the system into pieces. We believe we're trying to save the system. It's crucial for business in NSW and absolutely crucial for all of us. Business NSW president Joseph Carrozzi AM mirrored some of those sentiments. 'In recent times, we've seen reforms proposed by the government that business is badly needing. 'We need that categorically and it's a real shame that the Bill seems to, at the moment, be resisted by the Greens and by the Coalition … We hope that the Coalition will support and not frustrate this reform. Treasurer Daniel Moohkey said the forthcoming budget was 'about hope'. Photo by: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'The reform, which we believe is a bold but necessary reform ... must be supported.' Mr Carrozi urged for 'practical reform' that happens when 'officials meet in the middle and chart the way forward', and noted the continued impact business and the NSW community faced from natural disasters. Treasurer Daniel Moohkey said businesses were dealing with more disasters, and highlighted the need to address the Emergency Services levy and insurance premiums businesses were facing from disasters. With the budget on the horizon, Mr Moohkey on Tuesday made his pitch to the business community. 'This budget will be about growth,' he said. 'It will be about making sure we rebuild our essential services. It will be making sure that this government has the right settings in place for you to make decisions in your own businesses.' During his address, Mr Minns acknowledged the work of the previous Berejiklian government, specifically the 15 new Metro stations approved under the then-Coalition government, and said more were on the way.
West Australian
09-06-2025
- Business
- West Australian
NSW Premier Chris Minns tells business leaders Sydney ‘without a future' if new housing isn't delivered
NSW Premier Chris Minns has told business leaders Sydney will be left 'without a future' if the state government cannot deliver more housing, after a first-of-its-kind mini-city was voted down last month. The Australian Turf Club voted to reject a $5bn plan to redevelop the historic Rosehill racecourse, replete with 25,000 new homes and a metro station, which would have secured the racing club for '100 years'. Addressing more than 100 business leaders at the Shangri-La hotel on Tuesday, Mr Minns said despite the advancements made to the liveability of Sydney, 'we still lose twice as many people as we get'. 'Housing persistently is our biggest challenge, not just in the economy but in terms of intergenerational fairness and equity and giving young people an opportunity,' Mr Minns said. 'We are losing twice as many young people as we gain every single year, and that's even taking into consideration the fact that we are the largest city for inbound migration from any jurisdiction in the country. 'A city without young people is a city without a future, and the leading reason for that is we're not building enough houses.' On any 'Plan B' following the failed Rosehill vote, Mr Minns remained mum. 'But we we've got specific plans ahead,' he said. 'We're looking forward to talking them through when we're ready to talk about them.' He noted the need for more in-fill development, and housing along train lines. Mr Minns said NSW was 'not even building enough houses in comparison to other states on the eastern seaboard', and said the government was poised to address planning laws – but, with one key hitch. He said planning was 'next cab off the rank' after workers comp reforms are passed. The state government's workers compensation reforms faced a major hurdle last week when, despite pleas to have the legislation passed before June 30, the Opposition and the Greens teamed up to send it back for an inquiry. The Opposition, along with the unions and some industry leaders, claim the reforms, while badly needed, would leave many of the most vulnerable workers without help due to changes to the WPI threshold. The WPI, or whole person impairment, would be raised to 31 per cent for a psychological injury under the planned workers compensation bill, which detractors say will leave the most injured workers at risk. Mr Minns noted in his address the 'weird coalition between the Greens, the Liberal Party and the National Party' who had opposed the proposed reforms, and called for urgent action ahead of the state budget. 'It's not my style to make these speeches or events like this political … but, the decision of the Liberals and Nationals is not the right one. It was the wrong one,' Mr Minns said. 'We're not trying to smash the system into pieces. We believe we're trying to save the system. It's crucial for business in NSW and absolutely crucial for all of us. Business NSW president Joseph Carrozzi AM mirrored some of those sentiments. 'In recent times, we've seen reforms proposed by the government that business is badly needing. 'We need that categorically and it's a real shame that the Bill seems to, at the moment, be resisted by the Greens and by the Coalition … We hope that the Coalition will support and not frustrate this reform. 'The reform, which we believe is a bold but necessary reform ... must be supported.' Mr Carrozi urged for 'practical reform' that happens when 'officials meet in the middle and chart the way forward', and noted the continued impact business and the NSW community faced from natural disasters. Treasurer Daniel Moohkey said businesses were dealing with more disasters, and highlighted the need to address the Emergency Services levy and insurance premiums businesses were facing from disasters. With the budget on the horizon, Mr Moohkey on Tuesday made his pitch to the business community. 'This budget will be about growth,' he said. 'It will be about making sure we rebuild our essential services. It will be making sure that this government has the right settings in place for you to make decisions in your own businesses.' During his address, Mr Minns acknowledged the work of the previous Berejiklian government, specifically the 15 new Metro stations approved under the then-Coalition government, and said more were on the way.
