‘Just come out and say it’: Minns and Moore’s war of words over park event ban

Chris Minns has retaliated after the City of Sydney introduced a ban on major events in local parks. Lord Mayor Clover Moore accused the Premier of “firing off threats in the press”.

Damage done to Prince Alfred Park in Surry Hills at last year's Night Noodle Market. Picture: Supplied

An extraordinary war of words has erupted between Premier Chris Minns and Lord Mayor Clover Moore over the City of Sydney banning festivals from council parks to protect the grass.

Mr Minns yesterday threatened to stop turning parts of the city into new parklands unless Ms Moore reversed her ban, revealed by The Daily Telegraph on Monday.

In response, the Lord Mayor demanded Mr Minns raise “concerns about city operations” with her directly, rather than “firing off threats in the press”.

Mr Minns had earlier labelled the City of Sydney’s ban on major events in local parks a “massive stitch-up,” claiming the council should not use climate change as a shield for blatant NIMBYism.

“If they don’t want to have community festivals they should just come out and say it,” he said.

Mr Minns said the government would knock back future appeals from the City of Sydney to expand parkland if the council would not allow the public to use green spaces for events.

“My government has made big efforts, major strides, to open up more open space in the CBD,”

NSW Premier Chris Minns during question time at State Parliament. Picture: Nikki Short

“We’ve caught a lot of criticism for it, particularly around Moore Park,” Mr Minns said.

“We’re not going to continue to do those kinds of changes if, in the end, they’re going to be locked up and hermetically sealed,” he said.

Mr Minns was not suggesting he would back down on his plans to carve up Moore Park Golf Course for more public space.

Ms Moore defended her ban yesterday by saying that the Night Noodle Markets had caused $250,000 in damage to Prince Alfred Park, and - earlier - $206,000 in damage to Hyde Park. Each park took months to repair.

“Whatever the Premier or The Daily Telegraph think about climate change, the impact of prolonged heavy rain on our parks is very real,” she said.

“Having a fun event in a park one day is great, but when it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and takes months to remediate, during which time the park isn’t accessible, that stops the fun for months.”

Clover Moore pictured at Australian Fashion Week. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Pot shots like this do nothing but perpetuate the myth Sydney can’t manage nightlife or culture,” she said.

Ms Moore said it was “almost beyond belief” Mr Minns would “threaten” efforts to create new city parks unless the council “meets his Labor colleague’s proposal to host major commercial festival events at parks in Glebe and Alexandria”.

The Telegraph revealed on Wednesday that the City of Sydney council was banning major events from public parks, blaming climate change for creating increasingly severe weather events.

People pictured at an event at Prince Alfred park Sydney. Picture: Monique Harmer

The ban was reaffirmed in a vote on Monday night, following a push to get more commercial events at Victoria Park at Broadway.

Councillors amended the motion, to instead investigate using laneways and vacant lots for commercial events.

The council also called on the Minns government to lower the cost of hiring state-run sites like Tumbalong Park and the Domain.
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Originally published as ‘Just come out and say it’: Minns and Moore’s war of words over park event ban