Caulfield Racecourse: development
Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) — I address my adjournment matter to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The minister would be aware that last week an agreement was reached between the Melbourne Racing Club and the City of Glen Eira that will provide more public use of the centre of Caulfield racecourse. My electorate of Caulfield is aware of my efforts to provide more open space in the electorate. As I have said on numerous occasions, the city of Glen Eira has the lowest amount of open space of any municipality, and my constituents are naturally interested in maximising the open space available. The Caulfield racecourse is part of Crown land that is considered open space, but it has had little promotion and few facilities available to the public. Caulfield is a great racecourse that is world renowned, but outside of race day it remains empty and underutilised.
The agreement that I was part of facilitating between the Melbourne Racing Club and the City of Glen Eira means that the Melbourne Racing Club will provide $1.8 million to upgrade the park. The new park within the Caulfield racecourse will be open outside of race day on some 352 days of the year. It will have five precincts, including a picnic area by the lake, a large dog-off-leash area, walking and jogging paths, areas for fishing and a junior soccer pitch. All of these will exist inside a racecourse. I am extremely happy with what has been achieved for Caulfield by improving access to the centre of the racetrack — —
Honourable members interjecting.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER — Order! If members at the table would like a conversation, please leave the house.
Mr SOUTHWICK — Access to the centre of the racetrack and the creation of a wonderful new resource will be greatly appreciated by my constituents. The next part of the puzzle for my constituents is the land adjacent to the racecourse known as the Booran Road reserve. This was part of a land swap by the pervious government. It is now Crown land and has the potential of being a great sporting precinct.
I call on the minister to visit this area and meet with community representatives to investigate how this land can best be utilised to provide a great community resource for local residents.
This is a great story for Caulfield: it means that for the first time the Caulfield Racecourse will not only be a racecourse but it will be a park as well. It will provide an amenity not just for the people of Caulfield to be able to share and enjoy but for the people of Victoria as well. I am very proud to have been involved in discussions to ensure that this will happen. I thank the City of Glen Eira for its negotiations and its fine work, and I also thank the Melbourne Racing Club for coming together on this very important announcement. I look forward to the minister visiting Caulfield to look at what we have been able to achieve and to take up the challenge of the next part of the puzzle in delivering the Booran Road reserve.
Glen Eira Debates 
May 4, 2011 at 9:49 AM
Southwick’s words are indeed hollow. It’s a pity that the invitation to meet with community representatives comes after the event rather than prior and during the discussions. No amount of rhetoric can excuse him, councillors and the administration for selling out the community.
May 4, 2011 at 10:14 AM
We will overlook the fact that David was responsible for all this and deserves a great deal of credit, however, if all this comes off, as it should, then this is a win win situation for Council (us) and the MRC. We want better,and more formalised access to the racecourse and we want a strong MRC and all the benefits it provides.Congratulations to Council and the CEO.
May 4, 2011 at 10:45 AM
Benefits? What a joke! You continually claim that the MRC is a benefit. For the last time – they pay a miniscule amount of rates for the size of land they pillage, take all the profit and give zilch back to us. They are a rapacious, avaricious and unethical lot. They fit in well with the gang of five!
May 4, 2011 at 2:05 PM
Not only are they the largest ratepayer in Glen Eira, they are the largest employer. Believe it or not there are people that appreciate having a job..
May 4, 2011 at 11:52 AM
In my case members of my family are members of the MRC and we are all members of the RR Club at the Taberet. We regularly dine there and attend various functions etc. Hundreds of locals are employed at the Racecourse and a large number of locals use the course every evening especially in the warmer months. The MRC is the Cities largest ratepayer and part of a multi-billion dollar industry.
May 4, 2011 at 6:41 PM
So where are you going to park your car when the carparks gone?
May 4, 2011 at 12:31 PM
I’m in the Soutwick sold out camp. To hear he is now taking a substantial amount of credit for the park in the centre of the racecourse is laughable. Not one word in the agreement to ensure that the MRC fulfill their promises.
As for the wonderful new park … yeap, show it off David and be prepared to highlight the vehicular and pedestrian access. Also explain that new park is smaller and less valuable than the land gained by the MRC and that the remainder of the land swapped either remains firmly in MRC hands or is within their hands for at least ten years. But then again you already know that because you campaigned against it. In fact both you and Mathew Guy clearly stated pre-election that you would stop the land swap.
May 5, 2011 at 3:30 AM
The MRC SHOULD BE THE LARGEST RATE PAYER FOR THE USE OF OVER 150 ACRES IT ONLY PAID $150,000.00 IN RATES FOR SITES WHICH BRING INCOME OF MANY TENS OF MILLIONS, WITH POKER MACHINES ON CROWN LAND, WHEN WE AS INDIVIDUALS IN 2008-9 PAID $860.00 FOR OUR QUARTER ACRE IN ROUND TERMS. THE MRC RATES SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVER $500,000.00 TO APPLY THE SAME RATE STRUCK AS WE ARE OBLIGED FTO COP AND PAY.AS FOR IT BEING AN EMPLOYER …WELL HORSE JOBS COULD GO TO THE COUNTRY WHERE HORSES BELONG AND THE EVIL MACHINES COULD BE THROWN OVER BOARD AND THE MRC COULD GAIN LOOK AT THE POOR CATERING ARRANGEMENTS ON RACE DAY. IT COULD ONLY IMPROVE THE FOOD!
May 6, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Oh,another thing in Autumn/Winter magazine of Melbourne Racing Club “Keeping Track” which details just another small part of their not-for profit business.. DETAILS OF THEIR ENTERTAINMENT VENUES (POKIES)
If we need to gamble we should try others.THE TRADING NAME HAS NOW BECOME “PEGASUS LEISURE GROUP”, (“old name Melbourne RACING CLUB INVESTMENTS CAUSED CONFUSION)which will soon have a dozen venues.
These venues are at Caulfield,SANDOWN AND MORNINGTON (TAKEN OVER BY MRC) racing clubs.
STONEYS at Bacchus Marsh,
GOLDEN FLEECE…Melton,
SUGAR GUM …. SYDENHAM,
PLAYERS on LYGON….Carlton
THE GOLDEN NUGGET … Melbourne
THE COURT JESTER … Prahren
THE COVE…… Patterson Lakes
THE GRAND …. Frankston
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
THE JUNCTION HOTEL …Preston.
PLANS FOR REFURBISHMENT ARE BEING DRAWN UP FOR 2011
Near the end the article says “our gaming expansion helps to safeguard against the risk of any possible future downturn in racing related revenue threatening the club’s overall operation”
How lucky because it is a not for profit organisation then it receives special state reduces taxation obligations when compared to our local gambling hotels and clubs. All the money generated so far over a $300 million income one year in recent times has seen the money only spent on itself so it could be a good thought to look to other venues to ensure they can keep trading as the conditions in this district are very unfair… concessional rates, favoured parking conditions cheap rent on Crown Land. The hotels and clubs meanwhille hav to pay top commercial rates , exorbitant land tax,state gaming taxes at a higher rate and porovide more parking on owned freehold land.
These are but a few of the reasons why we should eat out or gamble in some of the venues listed below before they close the doors due to unfair competition.
THE ROSSTOWN …Carnegie,THE LONDON TAVERN..South Caulfield,ZAGAMIS …and
THE RACECOURSE at Caulfield, THE ELSTERNWICK CLUB and THE ELSTERNWICK RSL…ELSTERNWICK.
May 6, 2011 at 12:12 AM
Oh,another thing in Autumn/Winter magazine of Melbourne Racing Club “Keeping Track” which details just another small part of their not-for profit business.. DETAILS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT VENUES (POKIES)
If we need to gamble we should try others.THE TRADING NAME HAS NOW BECOME “PEGASUS LEISURE GROUP”, (“old name Melbourne RACING CLUB INVESTMENTS CAUSED CONFUSION)which will soon have a dozen venues.
These venues are at Caulfield,SANDOWN AND MORNINGTON (TAKEN OVER BY MRC) Racing Clubs.
STONEYS at Bacchus Marsh,
GOLDEN FLEECE…Melton,
SUGAR GUM …. SYDENHAM,
PLAYERS on LYGON….Carlton
THE GOLDEN NUGGET … Melbourne
THE COURT JESTER … Prahren
THE COVE…… Patterson Lakes
THE GRAND …. Frankston
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST
THE JUNCTION HOTEL …Preston.
PLANS FOR REFURBISHMENTS ARE BEING DRAWN UP FOR 2011
Near the end the article says “our gaming expansion helps to safeguard against the risk of any possible future downturn in racing related revenue threatening the club’s overall operation”
How lucky because it is a not for profit organisation then it receives special state reduction in taxation obligations when compared to our local gambling hotels and clubs. All the money generated so far up to $300 million income in one year in recent times has seen the money only spent on itself inside the fence so it could be a good thought to look to other venues to ensure they can keep trading as the conditions in this district are very unfair… concessional rates, favoured parking conditions cheap rent on Crown Land. The hotels and clubs meanwhile have to pay top commercial rates , exorbitant land tax,state gaming taxes at a higher percentage and porovide more parking on owned freehold land.
These are but a few of the reasons why we should eat out or gamble in some of the venues listed below before they close the doors due to unfair competition.
THE ROSSTOWN …Carnegie,THE LONDON TAVERN..South Caulfield,ZAGAMIS …and
THE RACECOURSE at Caulfield, THE ELSTERNWICK CLUB and THE ELSTERNWICK RSL…ELSTERNWICK.
DO NOT GANBLE TO EXCESS THOUGH
May 16, 2011 at 6:13 PM
You are wrong MP Southwick, The Caulfield Racecourse Reserve was a successful public park prior to the Melbourne Racing Club closing many of the original access points over the past 15 years. There were many public activities. Looking at the current plans the Racing and commercial activities will definitely hinder the access to the Reserve. How will potential users know when and where the gates will be open. Its still a pot luck situation. There are also Governance issues still to be addressed on the total management Crown Reserve
May 16, 2011 at 7:36 PM
I think the MRC will reluctantly build what they have agreed with Council…but the true test will be in five years after all the C60 towers have been approved (including the high level carparks in the Guineas reserve which have been put on the backburner for now but remain a key part of the MRC agenda). Until there is greater access to the reserve, it will not be fully used and will become just as the old Guineas Childrens playground became seven years ago – bulldozed for greater car parking. Thanks for selling out the community Crs Pilling, Lipshutz, Esakoff and Hyams.