‘Appropriately transparent’: Cook’s promise over secret Crown racetrack land deal

Premier Roger Cook has signed off his final question time until May by assuring the public he would be “appropriately transparent” when it came to a secretive deal with Crown to secure a parcel of land from the casino operator crucial to its Burswood racetrack plan.

The 5.8-hectare parcel of land bought by Crown Perth 12 years ago for $60 million has become a hurdle for the WA government as it pursues its election commitment to build a $217 million racetrack and entertainment precinct on the Burswood peninsula.

Negotiations have been shrouded in secrecy since they began last year, but 3.5 hectares of the parcel are crucial for the southern portion of the racetrack.

Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas asked Cook in Parliament whether a deal had been struck yet to which he replied: “no”.

When asked whether he would commit to transparency around the deal, Cook said: “We will obviously do all what’s necessary to make sure that...we are appropriately transparent.”

While in opposition, Cook’s party promised gold standard transparency during the 2017 election campaign.

In response to questions in Parliament in late February, the government said suitable arrangements were being progressed by the Office of Major Transport Infrastructure Delivery with Crown to facilitate access and works on its land.

Approvals for the Burswood racetrack and amphitheatre, collectively known as Perth Park, are complicated by the different landholdings of the Burswood peninsula.

A large portion of the site is owned by the Burswood Park Board, which gave the government the green light to start works in a memorandum of understanding.

The state has applied to the WA Planning Commission for development approval of the northern portion of the site closest to Optus Stadium.

The Burswood land requires an agreement between the casino operator and the state government or sale of the land to begin construction.

Final designs are nearing completion and construction of the racetrack and amphitheatre is expected to begin later this year.

Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has previously stated the government does not plan to pay Crown Perth anything for the land where the southern hairpin of the Burswood Racetrack will be built.

Earlier this week it was revealed the Blue Tree Project mental health blue tree was felled to make way for the racetrack.

The state government has committed to replacing the tree.

The Cook government is yet to announce any deviation from the original $217.5 million price tag announced ahead of the March 2025 election, but a recent Infrastructure WA assessment gave no assurances it would remain at that cost.

The assessment, released last month, suggested the information provided to the agency was not enough to ascertain the veracity of $217.5 million figure.