Kerri-Anne Kennerley: TV host takes on Sydney Mayor Clover Moore

Veteran TV host and keen golfer Kerri-Anne Kennerley has lined up against Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley has taken aim at Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore over plans to wipe nine holes from one of NSW’s most-used championship courses.

City of Sydney council recently revealed plans to halve the size of Moore Park Golf Course to make space for parkland.

“Golf is for everyone at any age — children, adults and older people,” keen golfer Kennerley told Confidential.

Kerri-Anne Kennerley plays a shot on the 11th hole during the Pro-Am round of the Australian Open Golf Tournament at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney in 2018. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

“They will be discriminated against if Clover Moore gets her way. She has hurt businesses and people’s homes with cycle paths, many of which are badly planned and dangerous.

“She should represent all people not, just the fashionable few.”

The 18-hole golf course covers 45 hectares and was built in 1913.

Veteran TV host Kennerley, who last night performed opening night of the Pippin stage musical, is a member of the Australian Golf Club and one of more than 5000 people to have signed a petition to stop Moore’s plans.

“It is acknowledged Moore Park is a busy golf club and runs virtually at capacity, which means the public use it as well as members,” veteran TV host Kennerley explained.

“Many cannot or do not want to join other clubs and they will be penalised by this.”

Golfer Kerri-Anne Kennerley. Picture: John Appleyard

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. Picture: Richard Dobson

Earlier this week, a board member of Moore Park Golf Club said Ms Moore had used

questionable data when advocating for the controversial plan to slice away half of the course.

At the most recent council meeting, Moore declared 31 million people visited Centennial Parklands annually.

The figure was taken from the Centennial Parklands annual report and equals 85,000 visitors a day, a crowd bigger than an average day’s attendance at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Centennial Parklands has confirmed the visitor figure, estimated by an independent research company, included crowd attendances at Hordern Pavilion as well as shoppers and diners at the Entertainment Quarter, near Fox Studios.

Centennial Parklands, in documents seen by the Telegraph, also confirmed people who walked through the parklands to and from work were counted as visiting the precinct twice a day.

Board member Jon Brett, speaking as an individual club member, suggested Ms Moore had used “fake facts” to sway public opinion.

“If 31 million people want to use the Moore Park Golf Course, honestly they should have the right to take it. I’m not that selfish,” he said.

“However, the constituents need to know the truth about how the numbers are made up and how there isn’t that demand (for more green space).”

Ms Moore was told of the breakdown of the 31 million annual visitors and asked if she felt that the figure had been misleading.

“We would welcome a more detailed breakdown of use (of Moore Park) if one is available,” a spokesman for the mayor responded.

“Further analysis of golf course use would also be valid, given the declining popularity of 18-hole golf rounds and increasing reliance on clubhouse function bookings and driving range participation.”

City of Sydney Council has launched a $50,000 community consultation plan, however the decision will be made by the newly formed Greater Sydney Parklands Trust.