Inner West Council’s Leichhardt Oval upgrade under fire over planned ‘beer garden’

A Sydney council is coming under fire over plans to build a new ‘beer garden’ directly opposite a major alcohol support service with critics describing it as ‘like eating a lemon meringue pie in front of a diabetic’.

An Inner West Council plan to revive Leichhardt Oval has come under fire after it was revealed the proposal could include building a ‘beer garden’ directly opposite a leading support service for people living with alcohol addiction.

“Like putting a vape shop next to a primary school” is how critics have labelled the council’s plan to establish a new beer garden a stone’s throw away from non-profit drug and alcohol treatment provider We Help Ourselves.

The beer garden is part of the council’s master plan for Leichhardt Oval that is aimed at ensuring the “ongoing and future relevance” of the precinct including its ability to attract community and high level sporting events.

But the inclusion of a new alcohol-friendly hospitality venue has sparked stiff resistance from members of the community.

Garth Popple, the executive director of We Help Ourselves, said the inclusion of the beer garden came without any consultation and could put the progress of the centre’s vulnerable clients at risk.

A concept photo of the Leichhardt Oval masterplan

“We provide residential support services with 120 beds for patients and have 50 clients attending day programs on any given week,” he said.

“The whole purpose of coming into a therapeutic environment is so you can build up adequate resources and resilience so when you do leave you have the confidence not to walk into a pub and have a beer.

Garth Popple of We Help Ourselves.

“Putting a beer garden directly opposite us would impact the ability to provide those safe and therapeutic services.

“It’s a bit like eating a lemon meringue pie in front of a diabetic or mixing up heroin in front of a drug dependent person trying to give up.

“It could act as a trigger.”

The proposed beer garden would also be located near Foundation House which provides support and rehabilitation services for people with alcohol, drug and gambling addictions.

A photo of the location of the beer garden.

Foundation House chief executive David Atkin said the implications of the beer garden had not been adequately considered.

“It’s extremely disappointing the council seems oblivious to the support agencies that exist within the community that change the lives of their own constituents,” he said.

Inner West Council declined to comment about why the beer garden had been proposed as part of the masterplan.

In a statement, a council spokesman said: “alcohol has been served at Leichhardt Oval for many decades as it is at all major sporting arenas”

Inner West Council’s Leichhardt Oval masterplan would include new grandstand seating.

Along with the beer garden the council masterplan includes new grandstand seating, improved parking, amenities and function facilities.

Inner West Council has written to Wests Tigers seeking their support for the upgrade, which would require funding support from state or federal governments.

Mr Popple said he was supportive of the intention of the masterplan, but believed the council should give more thought into the implications of the beer garden.

“We’re not against people having a beer and we’re supportive of community facilities but surely there are better places to open up a pub,” he said.

“Why not make it a lovely outdoor cafe – people in the inner west would love it and our clients would likely use it as well.”

Local community group Friend of Callan Park has joined calls for the council to rethink the masterplan with member Cynthia Nadai saying the beer garden should be “immediately deleted” from the proposal.