The Western Australian government is in discussions with Crown to utilise approximately 3.5 hectares of land as part of the Perth Park precinct at Burswood, with negotiations that have remained opaque since beginning last year.
The government has been clear that it will not be paying any money to bring the land back into public hands, according to the official Perth Park website. Yet the secrecy surrounding the deal has become a flashpoint in broader debate over the $217.5 million project that has already been allocated funding.
The 3.5 hectares of Crown Casino land appears essential to the project design. The proposed layout sits between the Crown Casino precinct and Optus Stadium, on grounds formally a golf course, with the track utilising some existing roads such as Camfield Drive, Roger MacKay Drive and Victoria Park Drive. Without clarity on Crown's contribution, questions persist about whether costs could shift.
In recent parliamentary debate, opposition members have seized on the absence of public information. Questions have been raised about whether the business case includes requirements for Crown Casino land, and whether such land requirements might cost more or affect the project cost depending on design decisions. When the Premier said the government was still finalising the racetrack design, opposition figures pointed out this contradicts assertions that the business case is complete, asking how one can be finished without the other.
The political temperature around the Burswood project has risen significantly. Critics have called it perhaps the most talked-about project in Western Australia this year, dominating conversation everywhere the government goes. Opposition members argue releasing the full business case is essential to transparent government and allowing taxpayers to judge whether the project stacks up to scrutiny.
Supporters of the key election commitment argue the precinct will deliver a major hub for community, entertainment, culture, arts and sport at Burswood Park. Yet the Save Burswood Park campaign and residents opposing the project argue it would degrade the park's recreational value, with opposition leader Basil Zempilas calling it the wrong project at the wrong time for the wrong cost.
The Cook government's handling of the Crown land negotiation will test whether it can rebuild public confidence in how major infrastructure projects are managed. Transparency over this 3.5-hectare arrangement, and the broader business case, will be central to that task.