The increasingly ugly fight over the future of a historic racecourse has hit a crescendo as the NSW premier accuses opponents of using spurious corruption claims to stymie a controversial housing plan.
Chris Minns was forced to declare he had "absolutely not" engaged in improper conduct after it emerged a group of MPs had resolved to refer the premier to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The referral, to be made on Friday, relates to Mr Minns' early knowledge of a proposal to transform Sydney's 140-year-old Rosehill Racecourse into a "mini-city" of up to 25,000 homes.
The plan, which has placed sporting and political heavy-hitters and rank-and-file racing members fiercely at odds, relies on rezoning and a new metro station to realise a potential $5 billion payday.
But the premier dismissed the matter as centred in rumour and fearmongering, not credible evidence.
He said opponents were following a political playbook of discrediting ideas, hurling mud "and if all of that doesn't work, allege corruption at the very end".
MPs behind the imminent referral were unable to publicly defend the decision due to confidentiality requirements.
That will lift on Friday when a report drafted by crossbench and coalition MPs is released.
It is expected to find conflicts of interest were not managed and probity rules were not followed after a long-time friend of the premier raised the prospect of selling the Australian Turf Club-owned racecourse in October 2023.
One inquiry member and strident opponent of the sale plan tiptoed around the gag order to claim there was ample evidence to justify the ICAC referral, including multiple breaches of the ministerial code of conduct and other guidelines by Mr Minns.
"Minns kept his planning, housing and infrastructure secretary in the dark, as she only found out by accident ... the day before the public announcement at Rosehill that he was cooking up the biggest real estate deal in NSW history," firebrand right-wing independent MP Mark Latham posted to X.
Mr Minns in August described the turf club's head of membership and corporate affairs Steve McMahon as a friend of more than 20 years.
Turf club chairman Peter McGauran told the committee it was Mr McMahon who pitched him the housing idea.
The premier met club representatives days later.
Mr McMahon said he and Mr Minns discussed the idea and how to pitch it, before the club invested resources in a proposal.
"You want to make sure that (the government) are not going to be automatically opposed," he previously told the inquiry.
But Mr Minns on Thursday said no secrets had been kept and no benefits gained during the interactions.
"We disclosed it ... because there was no reason to keep it hidden," he said.
Turf club members would vote on the proposal in April and the government would keep backing the idea until its future was decided, Mr Minns said.
The "cynical" referral undermined confidence in the corruption watchdog and would deter others bringing forward good ideas, he said.
The premier expressed similar fears when sporting powerbroker Peter V'landys faced the inquiry after Mr Latham attacked the Racing NSW boss under parliamentary privilege.
Mr V'landys took aim at "undesirables" in his evidence, saying some had used the inquiry as an opportunity to undermine racing.
The hearings were told turf club members were likely to vote against the proposal despite Rosehill suffering declining attendance.
Prominent racing figures including champion trainers Chris Waller and Gai Waterhouse oppose the sale.
