CAULFIELD RACECOURSE RESERVE

MAGEE moved a long motion which basically reiterated what had previously been stated – ie not enough sporting grounds and that it should be for racing, recreation and sport. Also mentioned recent history such as the Select Committee Report and their recommendations. Last part of motion was to write to all MPs, Ministers, Auditor General, etc.

MAGEE: spoke about population and lack of sporting grounds so that clubs have to play outside of Glen Eira. Claimed that 35 to 40 teams ‘would love to play in Glen Eira’ but presently can’t because lack of grounds. Said the plan could be ‘reconfigured’ to suit everyone and it’s really about the trustees and MRC who regard the land as theirs and that racing is more important than anything else. Said the MRC owns land all around the racecourse for their stables that they rent out so that gives trainers the right to train horses on the reserve. Then read out a long list about ‘prescribed uses’ such as weddings, exhibitions, exams etc. and noted that training is not listed once in this long list ‘according to the DSE’. Many things such as access, lighting ‘needs to be better’ and that the land should be given back to the community ‘who actually own it’. Saw this as ‘an opportunity to almost solve’ all the problems they’re having with sport. This isn’t happening and even though a barbecue area and running track will soon be opened it’s one that ‘just happens to run past the car park’ so that racegoers ‘don’t get dirty walking to the pavilion’. The toilet also suits the boot area. Therefore instead of this being a ‘great community park’ it’s ‘actually going to be used for racing’ ….’it will be used by you and me’ but you have to go through the tunnel ‘without suffocatig and getting mud’ and horse poo all over you. We’ve got a 2 billion dollar asset ‘sitting on’ the doorstep and yet Glen Eira can’t provide for its kids on sport.

OKOTEL: supported motion and ‘unfortunate’ that some people ‘misunderstood’ the position paper from the last council meeting. Said that this motion ‘seeks to clarify council’s position’ and to make this known to ‘all of the relevant stakeholders’. Went on to say that council ‘will honour’ its existing agreements and the intentions of council in ‘how to deal with this land in the future’. Hoped that this would prevent any ‘further misunderstanding’.

PILLING: endorsed the motion and said that it’s good that this would be sent to politicians because that’s really where the issue lies ie ‘with successive state governments’. ‘Training in the long term does have to go’ if council is to get what it wants. Said that this ‘position’ isn’t really that much different from its ‘previous positions’ just ‘articulates it better’. Said that the plan basically showed the ‘potential’ of the site and how it could be utilised for both active and passive recreation.

DELAHUNTY: also endorsed the motion. The report helped people understand just how much land is available and it’s just a concept and ‘may not be how it ends up’. Reiterated that ‘passive recreation’ is important. Spoke about jogging around the area and walking the dog years ago and would would ‘like to see some of that balance restored’. Saw that sport is about 2 issues – allocation and ‘supply’. Asked the community to support council’s position, ‘to get behind’ this move. Thanked officers for the report.

HYAMS: said that the focus of racing is a result of the ‘failings of previous trustees and government’. Criticism of the previous ‘issues paper’ was ‘unwarranted’ and the MRC’s media responses as well as Pakula’s ‘unfortunate speech’ in Parliament was ‘misleading’ so this ‘sets out the full context’. Mentioned the MRC spending $3 m on the synthetic track. Acknowledged that they’ve carved off Glen Huntly park but that there would now also be ‘1500 dwellings’ as part of the C60. Hoped that this was the ‘start for far more progress’ being achieved for the park.

MAGEE: 2 years ago Forge and he met Southwick who said this was ‘important’ but that in this time all he’s done in 2 years is ‘organise a fun run’ and that’s ‘insulting to everyone who actually voted for David Southwick’. He should apologise. Continued that ‘this is far too important’ to be ‘political’. ‘This is not going away’ and the MRC and Trustees should know that ‘council is just starting’ and will go on right to the 2014 election. If Southwick want relection then he ‘needs the people of Caulfield right behind him’. The whole issue is ‘about greed. Nothing more’.

MOTION PUT: carried unanimously

 

PS: THE FULL MAGEE MOTION AS PER THE MINUTES –

Crs Magee/Okotel
1. That Council note:
(a) That there are more people wanting to play community sport in Glen Eira than there are grounds for;
(b) That the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Crown land is reserved for “A racecourse public recreation ground and public park”;
(c) That, as shown by the report provided by independent consultant Simon Leisure, in addition to horse racing, the Crown land could potentially accommodate additional grounds for soccer, AFL, netball, baseball, rugby and cycling, as well as a range of passive recreation opportunities;
(d) That the Glen Huntly Reserve was originally part of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve;
(e) That the Victorian Parliamentary Select Committee of the Legislative Council on Public Land Development in its final report in September 2008 found that, “The Caulfield Racecourse Reserve profits to the Melbourne Racing Club have been disproportionately directed to racing users, with inadequate provision for use of public park and recreation users as required by the original Grant,” and recommended, “That the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trustees direct a substantial amount from the profits made by the Melbourne Racing Club over many decades to the provision of public park and recreational facilities, including promotion of the public use of these facilities as recompense to the community.”;
(f) That, pursuant to an agreement with Council of April 2011, the Melbourne Racing Club has spent approximately $2 million on
providing public park and recreation facilities in the interior of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve;
(g) That, in relation to training, that agreement provided, “One of the current uses of the Racecourse Reserve is for the training of more than 500 horses.
For training to be relocated from Caulfield, there needs to be
· an alternative site
· construction of new facilities
· and transfer of the training activities.
This will not be achieved in the short term.
It is not within the sole control of the MRC.
Agreed Priority in this transition would be
1. removal of training from Crown Land before freehold land
2. top priority is the south-east corner of the Reserve which would become available for use as public open space consistent with the already established joint communique in conjunction with Glen Huntly Park, at the expense of the body controlling the land.
3. within the Racecourse Reserve, the only tracks required would be for the conduct of races and all other tracks would be re-incorporated into enlarged precincts mentioned above.
4. Council and the MRC would enter into further discussions about further improved facilities and uses of the Centre for the benefit of racegoers and the community.”
(h) That training infrastructure constructed in the interior of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve since this agreement includes a
synthetic training track worth approximately $3 million;
(i) That the MRC’s C60 Development, on its freehold land across Station Street from the Racecourse Reserve, is projected to
include 1500 dwellings; and
(j) That, in accordance with the April 2011 agreement, Council’s position paper on the Crown Land at the Caulfield Racecourse
Reserve, adopted at its March 19 meeting, stated “Training of horses on a commercial basis is not one of the purposes for which the Crown Land is reserved. Providing a “public recreation ground and public park” takes precedence over the training of horses. To the extent that training prejudices the provision of public ground and public park, training should be phased out.”

2. That this report and motion be sent to:
 the Minister responsible for Crown Lands
 the Auditor General for Victoria
 the Victorian Government Solicitor
 the Department of Sustainability and Environment
 each member of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust
 the Secretary of the Trust
 the Minister for Sport and Recreation
 the Minister for Racing and
 all State and Federal Members of Parliament representing Glen Eira.

The MOTION was put and CARRIED unanimously.