Moore Park residents want end to grass event parking
It’s often the forgotten little sister to Centennial Parklands. But Moore Park is a valuable resource according to locals who are now calling for a ban on overflow parking and instead the creation of a village green.
Wentworth Courier
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Residents want a corner of Moore Park which is frequently damaged due to its use as overflow event parking to be turned into a valuable “village green” with a junior competition grade sports field, barbecues and a playground.
Resident group Saving Moore Park, which has a database of 3300 members, will on Friday launch the Moore Park is YOUR Park campaign in response to their concerns about the new Greater Sydney Parklands (GSP) board and lack of action in implementing the park masterplan.
The controversial overhaul announced by the NSW government last month involves GSP forming a combined board to oversee Centennial Park and Moore Park, Parramatta Park and Western Sydney Parklands trusts.
Although GSP did not nominate a timeline they confirmed there will be a “progressive” removal of the on-grass parking and said they remained committed to the Moore Park Masterplan 20240.
Saving Moore Park president Michael Waterhouse said he was baffled why when green space and sports fields were in such short supply in the inner city and eastern suburbs, the area backing onto Moore Park Road was not used to its full potential.
He said while they understood the current need for grass parking near the tram station, options such as integrating the cost of public transport into a football or concert ticket should be considered to prevent the need for 1000 cars to park near Kippax Lake.
“Why would anyone spend money fixing it up right now when cars park all over it and damage it 60 days per year?” Mr Waterhouse said.
“What we want from government is a commitment to taking away the carparking and then putting money towards facilities consistent with the masterplan.
“Residents from Moore Park, Surry Hills, Paddington – all of us use this park.”
As part of the Saving Moore Park call to arms, thousands of members will be asked to contact local politicians with their concerns.
A GSP spokeswoman said input from the local community would be “preserved and strengthened” by the new agency structure.
“The Chair of the Centennial Parklands Community Consultative Committee (Patrick St John) has been appointed to the new combined Greater Sydney Parklands board. The Centennial Park & Moore Park Trust is not being disbanded,” she said.
“The Moore Park Masterplan 2040 will see the progressive removal of on-grass parking at Moore Park. The Kippax Lake area has proved to be a valued and frequented green space for people during the pandemic, and the Greater Sydney Parklands will continue to work with stakeholders to progressively implement the removal of on-grass parking in a staged manner.
“Investments have already been made under the Moore Park Masterplan, and there will be more to come. The NSW Government has recently funded the upgrade of Tramway Oval as well as a new amenities block at the northern end of the Park.”
The spokeswoman also said a key commitment of the plan was to deliver greater provision of passive recreation and new and enhanced facilities for high performance and community sport.
City of Sydney Labor councillor Linda Scott also holds concerns about the structure of GSP and late last month she moved a recommendation at council to endorse the independence of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust as the “governing body and protection from commercialisation”.
She was unsuccessful, however an amendment that Lord Mayor Clover Moore would write to the Minister Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, about GSP and the need for council and community input was resolved.
Cr Scott said she would continue to fight for the preservation of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust.
“I stand with the Mayors of Waverly Council, Randwick Council, the Inner West Council and Western Sydney councils to support creating and retaining own local parkland Trusts,” Cr Scott said.
“As the sole City of Sydney councillor to support our local parkland Trusts, I will always advocate to protect our parklands.”