The Canberra Business Chamber says the proposed forced acquisition of the Thoroughbred Park Racecourse proposed by the Greens is bad policy as well as being risky.

“While we do need more homes in Canberra, the forced acquisition of private property is not the solution,” Greg Harford, Canberra Business Chamber Chief Executive, said today. “Businesses employ two-thirds of all Canberrans, and successful business is critical to the future of the territory. Businesses need certainty in their operating environment, and need to know that their private property rights are secure and will be respected.

“The proposal by the Greens that the Government should take over Thoroughbred Park follows last year’s compulsory acquisition of Calvary Hospital, and puts the ACT in dangerous territory, and creates legal questions. The idea that private property is somehow a resource that can be taken at will by the Government is at odds with Australia’s status as a property-owning democracy and, if implemented, would likely have a chilling effect on investment in the Territory.