‘Fun police’: City of Sydney blames ‘climate change’ for a ban on large events in public parks
Efforts to shift Sydney’s notorious reputation for being anti-fun have suffered a severe setback, with a ban on major events due to “climate change”.
Lifestyle
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A ban on large events in public parks in central Sydney has been extended indefinitely due to “climate change” and in an effort to protect grass from damage.
City of Sydney councillors voted on Monday to prevent music festivals, food markets and other major festivities from being approved, reaffirming a ban introduced in 2022.
The measure has been slammed by event producers and business leaders as “ridiculous” and the council, including its Lord Mayor Clover Moore, dubbed the “fun police”.
Council has blamed “climate change” for “accelerating severe weather events … [leading to] increased rainfall in the lead-up to and during outdoor commercial events”.
The apparently more frequent wet weather would result in “significant damage to large sections of the parks” in Sydney, it added.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns today described the climate change excuse as “a massive stitch-up”.
“I think they should be fair dinkum about it,” Mr Minns said. “If they don’t want to have community festivals, just come out and say it.”
The premier, whose first term has focused heavily on revitalising Sydney and supporting the night-time economy, criticised the ban, saying it reflected poorly on Sydney’s status as a world city.
“We need to be sensible here,” Mr Minns said.
“We want to get vibrancy back into Sydney. We’re a big, international city and we should be able to host big events in the CBD.”
Moore has made ‘a big mistake’
Sydney’s mayor has been a long-time advocate for creating new green spaces within the council area – and it’s a move the State Government has supported in recent years.
Mr Minns said that support has even seen him cop flack, particularly his backing of a plan to acquire half of Moore Park Golf Course and turn it into a park.
“By any objective measure, my government has made big efforts – major strides – to open up more open space in the CBD,” he said.
“We’re not going to continue with those kinds of changes if, in the end, they’re going to be locked up and sealed, and people will be stopped from accessing open space. That’s exactly why we want more parks, so we can have more community festivals – not less.”
The premier accused Ms Moore of ignoring the millions of people who live in communities surrounding Sydney’s CBD and the countless others who visit each as tourists.
“Sydney is not just for the resident that live in Sydney. If you’re going to be the mayor of that community, you have to think about the millions of [others]. It’s a big responsibility.
“It can’t just be for the few people who live around those parks.”
Ms Moore had made “a big mistake” in continuing the ban and refusing to budge on pleas to reconsider, he added.
Mr Minns also bristled at revelations City of Sydney authorities were telling event organisers to go to State Government-controlled venues instead, like The Domain.
“That’s not fair to us,” he said.
“It means you’ve got a larger number of people competing for a smaller area when we should be able to utilise other open parks in the CBD closer to the middle of downtown.
I don’t think this is reasonable. The decision needs to be reversed.”
A city ‘struggling with fun’
Sydney has a notorious reputation for being anti-fun, with the city battling to boost its vibrancy credentials in recent years in the wake of nanny state rules and regulations, like the crippling nightclub lockout laws.
The long-term impacts of the Covid pandemic, followed by cost-of-living pressures, have only made things worse, Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou said.
“Banning or restricting events in our city’s parks and public spaces is having significant implications for Sydney’s cultural and economic landscape,” Mr Nicolaou said.
“Event organisers and industry advocates argue that such limitations stifle creativity and reduce opportunities for community engagement and economic activity that is desperately needed in our city.”
The ban had created uncertainty in the events industry, he added, which underscored the need for a “balanced approach” accommodating both vibrant cultural activities for the interests of locals.
Mick Gibb, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, was scathing of Ms Moore’s stance.
“The NSW Government has put the pedal to the metal revitalising the 24-hour economy, but sadly someone is trying to reach over and pull up the handbrake,” Mr Gibb said.
“If there’s one thing Sydney is internationally renowned for it’s the stunning outdoor environment. It’s an own goal if we don’t leverage that asset to create a vibrant 24-hour economy that creates jobs, opportunities and fun in our city.”
Mr Minns agreed and urged Ms Moore to reverse the ban.
“Open spaces, night markets, noodle markets, places for the community to come together are exactly what big cities should be doing.”
City of Sydney’s ban was panned on Channel 9’s Today show this morning, with correspondent Lara Vella saying there are many things the Harbour City does well.
“When it comes to fun and vibrancy, particularly outside of the summer months and after dark, that’s something Sydney very much struggles with,” Vella said.
“This decision by the City of Sydney Council really isn’t helping this.”
Today host Karl Stefanovic labelled it ridiculous and declared: “The people will rebel.”
The original ban, introduced by Ms Moore, came about after the Night Noodle Market event in 2022 left swathes of Prince Alfred Park a muddy mess.
Councillor Olly Arkins pushed for the ban to be lifted at Victoria Park to “give people a reason to stay out [and] celebrate their neighbourhood”.
“I believe that if we want a vibrant, creative Sydney, we have to actually make space for it,” Cr Arkins said while moving a motion at Monday’s meeting.
“This isn’t about turning every patch of green space into a festival ground. But we should be able to say yes to some events. Right now, when someone wants to do an event in our city parks, staff are forced to say no.”
Locals were missing out on opportunities to “connect with others through music and creativity”, Cr Arkins added.
“We talk a lot about a vibrant 24-hour city, but this is what it actually looks like in practice.”
Despite the ban, there are a handful of exemptions, including for the annual Mardi Gras Fair Day and Indigenous cultural festival Yabun, held each year on what organisers dub ‘Invasion Day’.
Acclaimed chef Luke Mangan has been trying to establish a new Sydney Food Festival and told The Daily Telegraph the park ban was “ludicrous”.
“A policy should be made so that people who want to revitalise the city can use council for their event, with the responsibility that they must leave it how they found it,” Mr Mangan told the newspaper.
Council holds firm on ban
The decision to extend the ban was in recognition of “difficulties of hosting events in parks due to weather conditions, turf recovery and the closure of areas of parks due to the remediation”, a City of Sydney spokesperson said.
“Council has requested staff consider the feasibility of using laneways and vacant building lots for live music and cultural events.
“Council currently facilitates and approves more than 200 events annually on its civic spaces and roadways, ranging from commemorations, charity events and community activations to commercial promotions, world running marathons and major festivals.
“We’re continuing to review potential options that help balance activating the city and ensuring parks can be enjoyed year-round by the entire community.
“We need to get the balance right to ensure people have access to parks as well as the opportunity to experience outdoor shows and festivals.”
Larger events are better-placed at State Government-controlled venues, the spokesperson added, citing The Domain and Centennial Park.
“These spaces also include hard surfaces for staging and access, which cause less turf disruption with vehicles bumping in and out.”
Ms Moore would write to the State Government to urge those large spaces to be more available, the spokesperson added.
“If these spaces were more affordable, there would be more options for live music offerings without events and artists being liable for the cost of returfing or [for] limiting residential access to their local park.”
Cr Arkins pointed out that those State Government-owned sites were built for scale.
“They’re great for major concerts, but they’re not always accessible, or even appropriate, for smaller, community-driven events. That’s where I believe the city should be stepping up.”
Council’s mega parks spend
While it might be anti-event when it comes to parks, City of Sydney Council is pouring millions of dollars a year into maintaining green spaces across its jurisdiction.
In the next financial year, it will spend $68 million on public infrastructure, including parks.
Also allocated in the council’s budget is $11.4 million to add 6300 square metres of space to Gunyama Park, including a First Nations learning circle, playground, skate park and picnic seating.
Over the next decade, it will invest a whopping $2.7 billion in increasing open space and investing in community infrastructure and urban transformation.
It includes the development of Town Hall Square, a new civic plaza in the heart of the CBD, requiring the demolition of a number of ageing commercial buildings, which would force the closure of a popular Woolworths supermarket.
“Over the long term, we’ll continue to work closely with residents, businesses and government partners on shaping a city that thrives,” Ms Moore said of the budget plan.
Originally published as ‘Fun police’: City of Sydney blames ‘climate change’ for a ban on large events in public parks
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