Parliamentary review leads to sacking of Caulfield Racecourse Reserve trustees

The trustees responsible for the management and oversight of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve in Melbourne's inner south-east have been sacked.

The move follows a Victorian Parliamentary review into the use of a 54-hectare reserve at the centre of the racecourse, which was gazetted as public land 160 years ago but has been mainly restricted to use for horse training.

The Victorian Government has announced it has accepted all the recommendations in the review, which included the trustees resigning from their positions.

Victorian Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said it was time to provide accessible open space for local residents to enjoy, stating “we have got open space there that is the equivalent to 15 MCGs, yet the community has had very poor access, very limited access to that open space.”

The Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trust (CRRT) included Victorian Government -appointed members, as well as representatives of the Melbourne Racing Club and Glen Eira Council.

The Victorian Government said a new, independent body would be appointed to manage the land with the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to act as an interim land manager.

CRRT Chair Greg Sword said he welcomed the Victorian Government's decision and supported the review recommendations, stating that the trust's structure was "anachronistic" and needed reform.

Sword told the ABC “we're prepared to resign and assist the Minister and support the restructure of the trust.”

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