New ‘Frankenstein’ law stitched together with messy amendments is a bad law.
MEDIA RELEASE – 5 APRIL 2022
ALLIANCE FOR PUBLIC PARKLANDS DISMAY IN FRANKENSTEIN LAW LUMBERED ON OUR PARKS
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 for Public Parklands (APP) pushed the State government for the past 18 months to be more transparent about its plans to set up a corporation to run our public parklands. Due to our persistent advocacy in Parliament, we slowed down its rushed plan to allow for greater genuine discussion of this threat to the wider public. An Upper House inquiry clearly highlighted the deep concerns from community and local government from all over Greater Sydney.
The Alliance was supported by academics like Emeritus Professor James Weirick in calling for total rejection of the Bill and its replacement with a bottom-up, community-based federated model instead of the executive-heavy, top-down model being pushed by the government. Thanks to APP advocacy, amendments have erected some hurdles to make it less like a ‘walk in the park’ for the GSP Trust. The additional Community Trustee Boards will have some real power and the GSP Trust’s operations will be more transparent.
Amendments have restored protections for Callan Park, but not all parks were treated equally. With Moore Park still being pillaged with a 99 year lease and Fernhill Estate being left without a Community Trustee Board. The Alliance also has deep concerns that the Minister of the day - and his or her appointees – still have final say over the future of 6,000 hectares of our precious open green space and heritage estates. The Alliance would like to thank the thousands of park lovers from Maroubra to Mulgoa that helped shine a light this past year. The Alliance will continue working tirelessly to keep checks and balances on the GSP Trust and welcomes the legislated two-year parliamentary review of the new Act.
QUOTES
“By no means has the Alliance magnifying glass on the GSP been packed away. We will continue to monitor the parks management and keep the community informed” said Hall Greenland, APP spokesperson.
“The Alliance will be meticulously reviewing this heavily amended legislation with a fine tooth comb, and in the meantime will be making it our priority to make sure genuine local representation will be sitting on the park's new Community Trust Boards” said Suzette Meade APP spokesperson.
Media inquiries
Email: alliance4parks@gmail.com
Phone: Katey 0414 520 383 or Maria 0408 386 997
