Harris Park residents call for food truck, rubbish crackdown amid bid to save heritage suburb
Fed-up residents of a heritage-rich western Sydney suburb have demanded tighter rules around food trucks clogging streets in ‘Little India’, as small business owners hit back.
NSW
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Their terrace-lined suburb has the potential to be like “Surry Hills or Redfern”, but residents say changes that came in during Covid mean Harris Park is now filled with food trucks that don’t have to submit development applications or comply with heritage regulations.
Fed-up residents are calling for urgent action from Parramatta Council and the state government to stop more mobile businesses disrespecting heritage and giving a “vibe of slums’’ but small business owners have hit back.
Double-storey terraces have been masked with large advertising banners and food trucks park on front lawns and backyards in the suburb most popularly known as Little India.
Cottages have been transformed with pop-up kitchens on verandas, driveways and inside properties, as landlords rent out pockets of space on properties.
But Harris Park Residents’ Group members say they fear food trucks will encroach beyond the streets that make up Little India’s commercial precinct unless the government’s State Environment Planning Policy on mobile food businesses is amended.
Their concerns have prompted petitions to Parramatta Council so it can urgently lobby the state government to impose tighter laws on food trucks in heritage areas and tackle illegal dumping in Harris Park.
HRPG spokeswoman Teresa Llewellyn-Evans, who has lived in Harris Park
for 17 years, said the group wanted to halt the “open slather” state legislation that permitted mobile food businesses to open anywhere during Covid.
The government relaxed mobile food business rules during Covid so they could “open anywhere” but the rules have become permanent and residents fear the proliferation of such businesses at Harris Park threatens the conservation area.
“Really we have a duty to respect it and to look after it,’’ Mrs Llewellyn-Evans said.
“At the moment business interests are ruling.’’
Along with proposing food trucks to be exempt from heritage areas, 88 residents signed a petition that would limit the number of days a truck could operate on a heritage-listed site to no more than 30 days a year or no more than five consecutive days.
Resident Thomas Vano said litter from street food (predominantly food trucks) was a huge issue.
“Visitors regularly dump their takeaway food and drink containers and other rubbish on footpaths, in gutters and even over our fences,’’ he said.
“There’s no issue operating out of food trucks but it needs to be operating tactfully.
“I think Harris Park could be a Surry Hills or Redfern.”
Another resident, Gaurav Antwal, labelled it a “disgrace”.
“Food trucks in backyards have killed the heritage of Harris Park,” he said.
Aman Verma, who travels from the city to visit Little India, said: “Hygiene has been compromised.’’
But Amol Singh, the sales manager at Tuli Jewellers at Marion St where his parents lease out the shop’s backyard to Chawpatee food truck, hit back at the claims.
He argued “not everyone is making a mess” and said he did not see the problem in running dual businesses.
“Everyone’s got to survive so two businesses in one location isn’t a big deal for me, but it could be for some people,’’ he said.
Chawpatee Food Truck’s Sheshi Patel said there was a demand for food businesses because Little India was growing.
“There’s actually not enough businesses because too many people are coming here and they are liking the fresh food,’’ he said.
He said if neighbours were not happy, a solution could be reached with business owners.
9 Flavours food truck owner Anand Sinh Jhala said he had no complaints about his food truck, which operates in the commercial Wigram St.
“Within a commercial area is fine, a residential area is a council call,’’ he said.
“It’s better everybody is in a commercial area.’’
He said food trucks were more popular than opening a restaurant which could cost $300,000 or $400,000.
Little India Harris Park Business Association president Sanjay Deshwal has defended the food trucks and the suburb’s business activities.
“The area is growing and we can see more food options,’’ he said.
“All are regulated by council and if such littering is done, (the) residents’ association should call on council to rectify.’’
He said heritage properties were maintained.
Parramatta state Labor MP Donna Davis said she had made representations on behalf of the community to the Planning Minister about the State Environment Planning Policy after residents approached her about food trucks.
But Planning Minister Paul Scully said the development restrictions on food trucks that were relaxed during Covid had now become permanent.
“Councils are responsible for compliance and enforcement,’’ he said.
“It’s up to individual councils to work out what’s in the best interest of their communities.”
A Parramatta Council spokesman said the city valued heritage sites within the area and would do “everything in its power” to ensure the conservation area was preserved for future generations.
“Council acknowledges the concerns of residents in relation to illegal dumping and will continue to conduct regular patrols of the area,’’ he said.
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