New South Wales Premier Chris Minns will be referred to the state's corruption watchdog over the redevelopment of Rosehill Racecourse - a move he has called “disgraceful” and “unsubstantiated”.
A parliamentary committee that has been running an inquiry into the re-development has voted to refer the Premier to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over his personal relationship with one of the key figures behind the project.
The project is looking to develop Rosehill Racecourse into a huge housing estate in Sydney’s west, which was pitched to current owners of the site; Australian Turf Club.
The committee was told Steve McMahon, head of government relations at the Australian Turf Club, pitched the proposal to the turf club’s chairman, Peter McGauran, on 26 October 2023.
The premier had a “meet and greet” with the turf club four days later, according to ministerial diaries.
However, back in August, Minns had described McMahon as a friend of more than 20 years after he appeared at the parliamentary committee inquiry earlier that same month.
The Premier said the decision to now vote to refer him to ICAC was an attempt to “politicise ICAC with unsubstantiated rumours” based on them being "completely unsubstantiated".