Loss of $3m revenue from on-grass parking at Moore Park to cost taxpayers, footy fans

Axing grass parking at Moore Park has been described as a “massive own goal”, removing more than $3 million in revenue to be made up by taxpayers.

Axing on the grass parking at Moore Park by 2025 will remove more than $3 million in revenue for the Parklands Trust that will have to be made up by taxpayers.

Official figures from the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust show that before the pandemic on average more than 100,000 people used the on-grass parking every year.

But a decision to stop on-grass parking means those $30 fees will be lost and thousands of people from Western Sydney attending sporting events will have nowhere to park.

“It is a massive own goal,” One Nation leader Mark Latham said. He sat on the select committee that looked at the parking options and opposed ending the decades old tradition of parking on the grass.

“The real testing point will be when they open the new football stadium and people have nowhere to park,” he said.

The grass parking areas at Moore Park opposite the football stadium are used by approximately 100,000 people per year. Picture: David Swift.

Sporting codes using the new $828 million Sydney Football Stadium are calling on infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes to honour his promise to replace every one of the 2640 axed on-grass parking spots.

In its submission opposing the axing of on-grass parking the Alliance of Moore Parks Sports, which represents codes including Sydney FC, the Roosters, the Swans and the Waratahs, said it was “crucially important” parking spaces were not lost.

It said public transport “cannot cater” for all fans. Venues NSW said a family from Bringelly could drive to the stadium in under an hour or take more than three hours on public transport.

Meanwhile plans for a new underground car park to replace just 1500 of the axed spots have been delayed.

Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes laid the blame for that squarely on Venues NSW which he said is “responsible for providing parking for the new Sydney Football Stadium.

“They’ve secured NSW Government funding to build a car park. I encourage them to get on with it, and build more spaces if required.”

The use of these parking spaces is said to generate around $3 million a year for the Parklands Trust, a figure disputed by the Planning Minister. Picture: David Swift

“The removal of parking from Moore Park has been flagged for years … we’ve delayed and staggered the removal of parking from Moore Park to give Venues NSW enough time to build the car park.”

His department disputed the figures from the SCG Trust and said revenue from parking on the grass was just $750,000 a year.

“Loss of revenue from removing cars off the grass at Moore Park has been factored into our long-term planning for the revitalisation of Moore Park East and will not affect park operations,” he said.

Mr Stokes said the occasional on-grass parking meant the grounds could not be used as sporting fields.

“We know there’s a significant community sports field shortage in this part of the city,” he said and he was meeting that need “by securing more green space for sporting fields and recreation at Moore Park.”