Friends of Callan Park (FOCP) is presenting an exhibition for the National Trust Heritage Festival. Callan Park's Veterans: a century of connections is on display at three outdoor locations at Callan Park until 9 June 2024, allowing free access 24/7.  

Since the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Act came into effect on 1 July 2022, APP has been keeping a close eye on developments, and we are seeing some worrying signs.

Alliance for Public Parklands Suzette Meade says “The Greater Sydney Parklands agency was being set up to advocate for better recurrent funding for the operation of the parks, but it appears it’s just giving them greater allowance to commercialise the park to raise funds for themselves.”

The Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Bill legislation hobbled with messy amendments is now bad law – but it could have been worse. Disappointingly, we have ended up with “Frankenstein” legislation that still doesn’t secure ongoing funding or protection from 99-year leases, a de-facto sale of land.

The Alliance calls on all members of NSW Parliament to reject the Greater Sydney Parklands Bill which fails to protect 6,000 sq m of our public parklands, and instead work together for a model that will better protect our parklands for future generations.

Katey Grusovin, The Alliance for Public Parklands spokesperson, was interviewed for this story about the prospect of long commercial leases and inappropriate development of public land and parklands.

As well as the group response from the Alliance for Public Parklands, Alliance members have also expressed concerns in their responses to the Draft Exposure Bill.

Alliance for Public Parklands Suzette Meade was interviewed about the recent decision by the NSW Upper House to send the draft bill to a public inquiry.

The Alliance for Public Parklands welcomed the news that the NSW Upper House last week decided to send the highly contested Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Bill to a Parliamentary inquiry in 2022.

The Alliance is urging NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes to withdraw porposed legislation that would reduce community control and open the way for commercial interests to profit from some of Sydney's most iconic parks.

Dharug Strategic Management Group Ltd (DSMG) recommends complete rejection of the Bill as a poorly conceived and poorly drafted initiative that fails on too many criteria to allow even conditional support.

HPG says “there is no place for business activities and facilities that do not enhance the environmental, heritage, cultural, recreational and health values of a park.”

Elizabeth Farrelly’s recent opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald reflects the concern of all the members of the Alliance for Public Parklands.

As well as the group response from the Alliance for Public Parklands, Alliance members have also expressed concerns in their responses to the Draft Exposure Bill.

The Alliance members believe that the best way to translate the Minister’s worthy principles into reality is to entrust each of our parks to its own discrete Trust.

The Alliance for Public Parklands believes the Federation Model is a better model for the management of Sydney’s iconic parklands.

Inner West Council Mayor Rochelle Porteous, says she is concerned that the proposed Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Bill will weaken the protections for our public lands to stop inappropriate commercial developments.

The NSW Government’s Greater Sydney Parklands Draft Exposure Bill has been largely opposed throughout the state.

Ron Hoenig, Labor MP for Heffron, spoke of his concerns about the Great Sydney Parkland Trusts Draft Exposure Bill in NSW Parliament last week.