Greater Sydney Parklands or ‘Parkinglands’?
In NSW we are facing a flood of commercialisation and developments on our open public parklands.
The development of a ‘village precinct’ alongside the new Sydney Football stadium is yet another example of the State Government’s agenda to create more and more ‘event’ spaces. It has put commercial development in public parklands front and centre.
Read Matt O'Sullivan’s article here or read the transcript below.
‘Village precinct’ at Moore Park signals end to on-grass parking
The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 September 2021
By Matt O'Sullivan, City Editor
A large above-and-below-ground car park will be built next to the new Sydney Football Stadium, clearing the way for a permanent end to controversial on-grass parking at Moore Park during events.
Under the plans, the construction of a 1500-space car park will lead to an existing parking area next to the $828 million stadium being turned into a “village precinct” comprising open space, tennis courts, a children’s play area and a cafe and restaurant.
The project, which will be funded by the state authority Venues NSW, will be completed in two stages: a two-storey above-ground car park comprising 300 spaces by late next year, and a five-storey above-and-below ground car park with 1200 spaces in 2023.
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes said the proposed carpark would ensure work to improve “Upper Kippax” could start immediately, turning the damaged field into a community green with central sports field, shaded walkways and picnic amenities.
“We’ve seen how important green open space is to people during the pandemic and at Moore Park alone, there has been a 20 per cent increase in patronage in the last 12 months,” he said.
Once the new car parking becomes fully operational in 2023, all remaining on-grass parking will be removed from Moore Park.
Under draft legislation for an umbrella trust overseeing Sydney’s main parklands – to be released early this week – it would become an offence to park vehicles on the grass fields at Moore Park.
The government is yet to reveal the total cost of the project, citing the need for contract negotiations for the work to be completed first.
According to a proposed modification to the new stadium, the “village precinct” will comprise the basement carpark, “a single-storey retail pavilion, four tennis courts, ancillary landscaping and the reconfiguration of pedestrian and vehicular access”.
The site falls within the boundaries of the new stadium, and is between Rugby League Central and a building shared by the University of Technology, Rugby Australia and other sporting codes.
Saving Moore Park chairman Michael Waterhouse said the removal of parking for vehicles on grass fields during events was a major win for the local community after years of campaigning.
“The community has the potential to benefit considerably from the expenditure of money to upgrade the areas of parkland which have been abused mercilessly,” he said. “COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of green space for the community.”
However, Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich said the project was “yet another permanent structure on what was meant to be public open space”, and the community deserved the immediate and permanent removal of all parking on Moore Park should it go ahead.
He has previously described event parking as the “biggest threat” to Moore Park.
The project comes more than six years after secret plans emerged for thousands of car spaces to be built above and below ground as part of a new direction for the inner-east Sydney park.
Sports Minister Natalie Ward said the project would result in new open spaces, a children’s play area, a cafe and restaurant, and underground car park.
“The NSW government will turn what was a bitumen car park into a revitalised green space,” she said. “Moving vehicles off the grass near Kippax Lake and into a purpose-built underground car park is a win for locals and visitors. It means a sea of cars will be replaced by inviting open parkland.”
The rebuilt Sydney Football Stadium is due to be completed next year. Moore Park has been one of the most contested parklands in Australia. The Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust repelled a bid about five years ago by the powerful Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust to build a new stadium on its land.
