Sports codes should not be ‘fooled’ by Minns’ Moore Park Golf Course plan, bureaucrat warns

While Chris Minns has vowed part of his Moore Park plan is to build more sporting infrastructure, a senior bureaucrat has urged sports codes they should not be “fooled”.

Premier Chris Minns has vowed to turn Moore Park Golf Course into 20 hectares of public space. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

A senior bureaucrat warned sports codes should not be “fooled” by Premier Chris Minns’ plans to hack Moore Park Golf Course in half, saying there was “nothing in” the decision for new facilities.

The warning is contained in secret internal emails released via an order of parliament, which suggest building new sporting facilities would require “mass tree clearing” that would be rejected by the community.

Greater Sydney Parklands (GSP) senior manager of sport and recreation Jarrod Bean made the comments when asked for feedback on a “Q and A” document, the day after Mr Minns announced plans to slice the golf course down to nine holes in 2023.

GSP is the government agency which runs Centennial Parklands, comprising Centennial, Moore and Queens parks. The majority of its funding comes from revenue made by the golf course.

Mr Minns has since vowed to build “more sporting infrastructure … for local sporting organisations” as part of his plan for Moore Park.

However, according to Mr Bean, this would be impossible.

“(The) government needs to be very careful what they are suggesting here,” Mr Bean said in an email to his bosses.

“There is nothing in this for community sport, as the community are (sic) not going to cop mass tree clearing.

“It flies completely in the face of government’s argument for quality green space.

“All sports codes need to know there is nothing in this for them and not to be fooled.”

A Greater Sydney Parklands bureaucrat warned “mass tree clearing” would be required for new sports grounds. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Mr Minns addressed Mr Bean’s comments head on, but dismissed his concerns as the advice of “an individual public servant”.

“I do take into consideration the frank and fearless advice of public servants. But I mean, if we listen to (every) individual public servant who told us not to do something, the government will be paralysed,” he said.

“We still have to make decisions that we think are in the government, [I mean] in the public’s best interest.”

Mr Minns also waved off concerns trees would have to be chopped down to convert the golf course into sport fields, claiming his government could just plant more.

“We may have to move trees, but the prospect of planting more trees is also exciting,” he said.

“I mean, people shouldn’t be fooled by this, it’s not a forest at the moment. It’s a golf course.

“If we have to move things around, we may well do that. My view is we can have what we need on the site, which is open space, tree canopies, as well as organised sport.”

The Minns government is yet to commit any money towards creating 20 hectares of new public parkland.

On Monday, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey refused to say whether his upcoming budget would include cash to convert Moore Park Golf Course into new green space and sporting facilities.

Chris Minns sided with Clover Moore to hack Moore Park Golf Course in half. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Opposition planning spokesman Scott Farlow said the newly released documents “show that the captain’s call of the premier to transform Moore Park Golf Course into football fields is a complete con”.

“If golf is removed from Moore Park South the reality is that the site will just be a few picnic tables, walking tracks and maybe a set of swings and a slippery dip,” he said.

Mr Farlow urged the premier to take up an alternative proposal, championed by golfing groups, which would retain an 18-hole golf course by freeing up around 15 hectares of green space for public use.

A Minns government spokeswoman did not directly address questions about whether “mass tree clearing” would be required to convert Moore Park Golf Course into public space.

Opposition Planning spokesman Scott Farlow said Mr Minns plan for new sports fields is a “con”. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

“Moore Park South will be transformed by a new 20-hectare public park that will respond to the community’s future recreational needs in one of the densest residential areas in Australia,” she said.

“The Minns Government recognises that with an increasing population there is a need for more open recreational space, so that’s exactly what we plan to deliver.”

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Originally published as Sports codes should not be ‘fooled’ by Minns’ Moore Park Golf Course plan, bureaucrat warns