The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will not investigate the NSW government or Premier Chris Minns over the controversial proposal to redevelop Rosehill Racecourse, saying there is no "reasonable likelihood" of corruption.A parliamentary committee sent the proposal to turn the racecourse into a housing precinct to the ICAC on December 6, although Minns himself wasn't personally referred, and a motion to refer him by Mark Latham was soundly voted down.The committee said the proposal was referred to the ICAC due in part to a meeting between Minns and the Australian Turf Club's (ATC) head of government relations, Steve McMahon, being "inappropriately" labelled as a "meet and greet" in the premier's diary.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will not investigate the NSW government or Premier Chris Minns over the controversial proposal to redevelop Rosehill Racecourse. (Kate Geraghty)Minns has a decades-long friendship with McMahon, while the ATC owns the Rosehill site.ICAC said today it had reviewed the referral and could not find any evidence of corrupt conduct."The commission's assessment panel, comprising the three commissioners and senior commission staff, considered the information set out in the select committee's report," ICAC Chief Commissioner John Hatzistergos said."The assessment panel has unanimously determined not to commence an investigation on the basis that the information before the commission does not indicate a reasonable likelihood of corrupt conduct occurring."Minns had categorically denied any allegation of corrupt conduct from the get-go, labelling the decision to refer the Rosehill plan to ICAC as "completely unsubstantiated", "disgraceful" and an "old-fashioned smear"."It is truly undermining the principles of investigation and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to put in place unsubstantiated rumours, dress them up as a corruption allegation… whilst providing absolutely no information, no facts, no evidence to support that exact allegation," he said after news of the referral broke.
