The ongoing inquiry into the proposed development of Rosehill Racecourse has taken another turn, with the Select Committee recommending that a submission by Racing NSW be referred to the Privileges Committee for possible contempt of parliament.
This comes after allegations that Racing NSW may have attempted to interfere with inquiry participants, an action that could have serious implications for the integrity of the committee process.
The Select Committee on the Proposal to Develop Rosehill Racecourse was established in May 2024 to investigate the development plans for the iconic site. After several hearings and confidential submissions, Racing NSW became a central figure in the investigation. On August 9, Racing NSW CEO Peter V'landys AM and Chief Operations Officer Graeme Hinton appeared at a public hearing, where questions were raised about potential interference with witnesses.
Peter V'Landys
Following the hearing, on August 12, Racing NSW submitted a written response addressing matters discussed in the inquiry.
However, the Special Report issued by the committee raised concerns about the submission, stating that it may have been a veiled attempt to uncover the identity of whistleblowers who had provided confidential evidence. This prompted the committee to escalate the issue.
The Special Report reads:
“The committee is concerned that such an 'investigation' could be interpreted as a wrongful attempt by Racing NSW to uncover the identity of confidential submission authors, potentially with the intention of discouraging or intimidating these inquiry participants from giving evidence."
Racing NSW Accused of Intimidation
Independent MP Mark Latham, a vocal critic of Racing NSW, intensified the scrutiny through a series of tweets on August 21. He accused the organisation of attempting to identify whistleblowers and breach parliamentary privilege, describing their actions as an "abuse of parliamentary process." In his tweet, Latham said:
“Racing NSW is out of control. Incredibly after the Rosehill Committee parliamentary hearing on 9 August they have gone out and tried to hunt down who they believe are whistleblowers… A complete breach of parliamentary privilege.”
“Racing NSW is out of control. Incredibly after the Rosehill Committee parliamentary hearing on 9 August they have gone out and tried to hunt down who they believe are whistleblowers… A complete breach of parliamentary privilege.” - Mark Latham
Latham’s public rebuke of Racing NSW brought renewed attention to the inquiry and the role of the racing regulator. He further claimed that the Racing NSW Board was unaware of these developments, questioning the governance within the organisation - however, we later discovered, in the third hearing when confirmed by Racing NSW Chair Saranne Cooke, that the Board was, in fact, aware of the submission.
In response to Latham's claims, The Thoroughbred Report reached out to Peter V'landys for clarification on August 27.
Mark Latham
V'landys dismissed the allegations, stating: “Not sure what Mr Latham is on about. However, due process and natural justice should be front and centre of this inquiry. Mr Latham is running an agenda against Racing NSW, so he doesn't want to hear the facts but rather baseless allegations from disgruntled participants.”
Despite V'landys' insistence that Latham's accusations were baseless, the Special Report and the committee’s actions suggest otherwise.
The Board’s role questioned
In a follow-up tweet on September 20, Latham reminded his X followers that at the third committee hearing, under oath, Cooke admitted to having seen and approved the controversial submission. According to Cooke, the Board had been briefed on the contents, and no directors raised concerns about its appropriateness. This raises further questions about the governance within Racing NSW, as it directly contradicts claims that the Board was unaware of the submission's implications.
The Upper House will now consider the Select Committee’s recommendation to refer the Racing NSW submission to the Privileges Committee, which will investigate whether it constitutes contempt of parliament. If found guilty, the implications for Racing NSW could be severe, adding to the already escalating scrutiny over their conduct.
