1. Restoring Trust.

The approach taken by the government in the way that it created the Greater Sydney Parklands agency is harming public trust. A full and broad public consultation process on the future of our iconic parks should be undertaken to restore public trust.

2. Management.

A separate board and separate management are required for each statutory park trust. A “one size fits all” approach to managing these five great parklands is unworkable. Each park has its own unique site-specific challenges and management issues.

3. Legislation.

Any prospective legislation should protect against “inappropriate development and sell-off”. Lands should remain vested in their respective Trust. Privatisation by way of long leases should be prohibited. Uses that exclude or alienate general public access should be discouraged.

4. Funding.

Government has funding obligations. Like funding for essential public services and facilities such as health, education and sport, major parklands are also essential to public health and should be funded accordingly. Also, self-funding models may encourage inappropriate land uses, diminishing green and open spaces. Board focus on self-generated funding will detract from its main purpose of providing parks for the people.

Note that self-funding has been, in the past, not workable for the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, and led to community upset and a court action.

5. Accountability.

Trusts must be accountable to the community and Trustees should have relevant skills. Boards should have a range of skills including parkland management, cultural landscapes, biodiversity, ecology and heritage. First Nations must be represented. Each parkland should draw upon the expertise of other relevant agencies (Heritage NSW, National Trust, NPWS, Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, etc.). The Boards should be balanced, fearless and free of conflicts of interest.

6. Community Representation.

Genuine community representation and diversity must be built-in. There needs to be genuine community participation through representation on Boards or Advisory Committees. Publications, especially Minutes of board meetings, must be provided in a timely fashion. Board meetings should be open to the public.

7. Heritage Protection.

There must be an explicit commitment to heritage protection in all of the parklands. Any legislation must commit to the conservation, protection and interpretation of natural and cultural values. New hardscaping which could negatively impact values should be avoided.

8. Biodiversity.

Biodiversity, ecological and wildlife habitats must be protected. It is no secret that, as a nation, we are failing to protect biodiversity. This is a key concern of the Australian public, particularly in the wake of last year’s devastating bushfires. In Sydney, our fauna and flora are rapidly diminishing, especially on the Cumberland Plain. Conservation of these precious resources is imperative, and the parklands provide crucial zones for natural habitat.