The Bill for the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust is now available and uploaded HERE
A quick perusal of the Bill reveals:
- The Trust is disbanded and a new ‘trust’ to be appointed
- The Minister will appoint between 5 and 7 members to the new Trust – they can be members of parliament. Nothing is stated regarding community members or council members.
- Current leases will remain until the Trust is operational and this could be in the latter part of 2018 when the Bill is enacted
- Leases can now extend out to 65 years with Ministerial approval
- The Minister can declare ‘event’ days (ie racing, circuses, etc)
- One interesting section of the Bill – Subclause (7) allows the Trust to regulate its own meeting proceedings, subject to the provisions of this Bill. What this means in terms of reporting and minuting of meetings is anyone’s guess!
- There will be ‘planning corporate documents’ as well as ‘management plans’. The latter to go out for public consultation.
How all of the above works out in practice is yet to be seen. Please read the proposed legislation and offer your thoughts.
PS: Today’s Hansard on the Bill is uploaded HERE
Glen Eira Debates 
August 24, 2017 at 1:59 PM
i think it mentions the racing, public park and recreation. However it is up to the minister to decide what the split will be! It says lease on Western and Neerim stables are unaffected so what is the end date on Neerim 2018 or the date they voted to give themselves?
August 24, 2017 at 2:20 PM
Very disappointing. Ministerial control over practically everything does not augur well for an independent body free from politics and the tentacles of the mrc.
August 24, 2017 at 2:53 PM
Yes, very, very disappointing. Nothing here to stop Minister from appointing mrc members or for that matter council clowns. Couldn’t find anything about meetings being open to the public either. Nothing on leases being paid at commercial rates and role of valuer general. I’m inclined to forecast more racing and more special events run to favour mrc pockets.
August 24, 2017 at 3:17 PM
Clause 48 provides the minister with the power to grant a
lease to the Melbourne Racing Club before the trust is
established. If the minister exercises this power and a lease is
granted, the lease will be saved upon the establishment of the
trust and the trust will become the lessor.
August 25, 2017 at 12:13 PM
At least there is a lot of reporting hoops for the new trust will have to jump through. Whether they decide to to consult the public in their formation of any management planning. Or just consult Glen Eira city council and take that as being representative of residents wants is yet to be seen.
The MRC are expert rorters and just how they will seek to subvert all this is also yet to be seen. Getting their people on the inside of the new trust would be top on their list, with the goal of getting a massive 65 year lease on exactly what they want.
Now that remuneration is on offer and only four meeting a year, with a appointed CEO and likely some staff to to do all the work. (MODERATORS: sentence deleted).
Let see if getting training and the MRC’s parasitic leaseholders out of the reserve is a priority of the new trust.
There a lot of good and potentially bad clauses in there, it will be interesting to see who on the new trust will be in cahoots with the MRC rorters.
August 30, 2017 at 7:47 PM
A 65 year lease that the Minister can grant, prior to the new trust being formed!! Sounds like 3 generations of the community will be locked out. And why revoke the crown grant? MRC will be rubbing their hands together once revoked. It will be open season for a land grab. We bid the reserve a fond farewell. Something smells around the Caulfield Racecourse and it isn’t just the horse manure.
November 3, 2017 at 7:26 PM
Looks like it has passed the upper house with some minor amendments. That’s all folks, the MRC has effective control and the community is out. R.I.P. the crown grant.