Le Montage owner Sal Navarra ‘upset’ over Lilyfield skate park plan

The venue for Salim Mehajer’s wedding could have a skate park put within metres of it, raising the ire of local Greens and Le Montage owner Sal Navarra.

It’s the glitzy waterside venue that hosted jailbird Salim Mehajer’s nuptials and controversial British right wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos.

Now the Greens stand accused of making an unlikely alliance with inner west wedding venue Le Montage to stop a proposed skate park being installed metres from the Lilyfield business.

Council papers say trees will be sacrificed, security and anti-social behaviour will be a nightmare, the area is used for photos, and that “placing a skate park next to a function and event centre is unheard of”.

Plans for a skate park at Lilyfield next to Le Montage wedding venue.

But Inner West Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne – who has been accused of making business owner Sal Navarra “upset and emotional” – has blasted objectors to the plan.

“Siding with a high end function centre over the interests of local children and skate boarders is a new low for the Greens,” Mr Byrne said.

“The idea that very profitable businesses should have a right of veto over children’s play equipment isn’t just wrong, it’s obscene.

“Salim Mehajer landed four helicopters on Leichhardt Park at his wedding but now we are supposed to believe that kids on skateboards will lower the tone of the precinct?

“The worst thing is that many young people and skaters put their faith in the Greens Party.”

Former Auburn deputy mayor Salim Mehajer’s helicopter at Lidcombe before it flew to Le Montage at Lilyfield. Picture: Toby Zerna

Plans for the park were contained in the Leichhardt Park Plan of Management, which was approved November 10 by a majority of councillors.

The location of the park has been publicly available since 2018.

Despite voting for the council motion, Green councillor Marghanita Da Cruz and Liberal Vittoria Raciti are now both opposing the skate park’s location – which will be within 10m of the venue.

Green Rochelle Porteous is also trying to block the skate park, with a rescission motion to be brought before Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne.

Sal Navarra at his Le Montage venue. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Byrne said Greens have blocked numerous attempts to have the skate park at Callan Park in Rozelle.

Le Montage owner Sal Navarra said the council hid the skate park plans in the plan of management.

Le Montage in Lilyfield. Picture: Christian Gilles

“It has really upset me and it shows me what kind of leadership he has,” Mr Navarra said of the Labor mayor.

“I have been there 25 years and I live and breathe Lilyfield.

“I’ve contributed – I have put fairy lights everywhere – and created one of the best parts of the bay run in Sydney.

“It will impact on my business.”

Greens councillor Marghanita Da Cruz said the business feels like it was not consulted and residents are objecting to the loss of green space and trees.

Originally published as Le Montage owner Sal Navarra ‘upset’ over Lilyfield skate park plan