Hornsby Shire Council: Brooklyn carparking proposal endorsed for public exhibition

Residents and holiday makers in Sydney’s northern reaches have grown used to having access to unlimited carparking before heading off on boats to homes on neighbouring islands. But this could soon change.

Residents of a quaint village on the banks of the Hawkesbury River have expressed anger at plans to end unlimited carparking for those who hop on boats to reach their island homes.

The issue of carparking at Brooklyn consumed the recent Hornsby Council meeting, with claims of “catastrophising” and widespread misinformation about the proposed changes leading to increased tension.

Residents and holiday makers in the river community typically leave their cars at Brooklyn before heading off on boats to homes on neighbouring islands for overnight periods.

Despite previous attempts to change carparking conditions, river community residents have grown used to unlimited parking in the suburb.

But this could soon change with Hornsby Council proposing a four-hour time limit between 6am and 6pm, with plans to provide space for a resident-only untimed carparking area in Upper McKell Park.

Dangar Island is one of the river communities on the Hawkesbury River. Picture: Troy Snook.

This will mean river residents would no longer have untimed carparking spaces immediately adjacent to their boats.

At the most recent council meeting, many river residents turned out to voice their anger at this proposed changes.

Holiday-makers arrive at Brooklyn, which remains a popular tourist destination, in the 1920s.

Gerard Putt, a Dangar Island local and chair of the Brooklyn Mooring Cooperative, was one of those who spoke about his opposition to the proposal.

“McKell Park has been subject to conflicts of use, principally parking, for decades,” Mr Putt said.

“Regardless river residents must have parking close to ferries and boat moorings to safely access their homes … (this proposal) is unfair, unreasonable and most importantly it’s unsafe.”

But Hornsby deputy mayor Nathan Tilbury said parking in Brooklyn, particularly around the McKell Park area, had worsened in recent decades.

Deputy Mayor Nathan Tilbury voiced his support for the plans to be placed on public exhibition. Picture: Hornsby Shire Council.

Cr Tilbury also spoke of the “an incredible amount of catastrophising” around the proposed parking changes, including misinformation spread on social media and talkback radio.

“More people are living permanently on the river, their children are reaching driving age and a number of river residents have several cars parked at Brooklyn,” Cr Tilbury said.

“The greater majority of local Brooklyn residents are fed up with the parking issues, which are mostly caused by long term parking from river residents who are storing their cars at McKell Park, rather than parking them.

“(The) decision for councillors … is to put the report out on public exhibition or not. This will give the public — on both sides of the issue — the opportunity to access the report for themselves and provide feedback.”
Hornsby councillors unanimously voted to place the Brooklyn parking proposal on public exhibition for eight weeks.

During this period there will be community consultation, including letters, offers of meetings and online consultation.