There was also an opportunity to “introduce other activities” given the new Sydney Fish Market under construction nearby,and plans for significant housing uplift at Blackwattle Bay,he said. Kamper said he had “general discussions” with Racing Minister David Harris about the matter.
The previous government committed to ending dog racing at Wentworth Park when the licence expires in 2027,and planned to convert it to “newly activated,publicly accessible open space as part of a larger and enhanced parkland”.
That was announced in December 2020 by then-treasurer Dominic Perrottet and planning minister Rob Stokes,as part of the broader Pyrmont Peninsula Place Strategy. The documents said a working group of government agencies and stakeholders would find a site for greyhound racing.
The Greyhound Breeders,Owners and Trainers Association,which runs Wentworth Park,agreed to leave the site at the expiry of the lease. But chief executive Rob Macaulay said the former Coalition government left office without an alternative being finalised,and the GBOTA now wished to remain at Wentworth Park.
“We’ve just raised this as a desire. I understand that it’s going through a process of consideration,” Macaulay said. “Wentworth Park is the ideal place. We’ve invested many millions of dollars in that facility.”
Macaulay estimated the cost of another site would be “the best part of $100 million.” Kamper said the government had not decided,but expense was a factor. “It’s prudent if we can get a positive outcome there without it being an enormous cost to the state,” he said.