Millions have been spent on these football fields but no one is allowed to play on them

The future of the Rozelle Parklands is in limbo as a bureaucratic fight over responsibility for the calamity-prone park continues to block inner west sporting clubs from using brand new multimillion-dollar fields at the 10-hectare site.

A year after it opened, Inner West Council has accused Transport for NSW, the owner of Rozelle Parklands, of dragging the chain on a planned handover of the site.

The discovery of asbestos at Rozelle Parklands prompted the park’s closure last year.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

The dispute centres on Transport for NSW’s insistence that the council accept liability for any future contamination discovered at the site. Last year, asbestos was discovered in mulch near a children’s playground, causing an environmental scandal.

The terms of the agreement have prompted an angry backlash from Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne, who has accused Transport of trying to “rip our community off” by passing liability onto residents a year after the discovery of asbestos at the park forced its closure.

“We’ve discovered now that the agency seemingly wants to transfer liability and risk for the contaminated ground underneath the Parklands to our community and there’s no way we will be agreeing to that,” Byrne said.

‘We watched the turf go down. We’ve watched it be watered, watched it grow, watched it be mowed. But we can’t play on it.’

Paul Avery, Balmain District Football Club president

“After the asbestos saga and all of the other problems at Rozelle Parklands, you would think Transport for NSW would get their act together so that we, as a council, can start managing and improving the Parklands for our community.”

After opening in December 2023, the Rozelle Parklands were closed only a month later after asbestos was discovered in mulch near a children’s playground. The discovery forced the park’s closure and sparked a wider investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency, which found traces of bonded asbestos at dozens of sites across Sydney, including schools and parks.

The park has since reopened but use of sporting fields at the site remains in limbo. The council says Transport has also failed to provide terms for a $20 million grant meant to help pay for the park’s upkeep.

Until ownership is transferred to the council, four clubs with a combined membership of about 6000 remain unable to use the site.

The use of sporting fields at the site remains in limbo.Credit: Edwina Pickles

Balmain District Football Club president Paul Avery has been keeping a close eye on the playing fields at the Rozelle Parklands and is growing increasingly weary of watching the grass grow.

“It’s been a long time. We watched the turf go down. We’ve watched it be watered, watched it grow, watched it be mowed. But we can’t play on it. The rest of the park has been fully opened for more than a year, but we still can’t get on it,” he said.

In a statement, a Transport spokesman said it hoped to reach an agreement with the council “as soon as possible” and that the agency had also committed to carry out further work on the turf at the sporting fields before the handover.

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.