The owners of Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter have won permission to hold additional events, markets and exhibitions at the Moore Park site despite complaints from nearby residents about noise, parking problems and people bouncing basketballs.
But the objections underscore the battle ahead if and when the current or future owner seeks to complete an overdue redevelopment of the site, which is widely regarded as under-utilised.
The 11-hectare Entertainment Quarter in Sydney’s Moore Park is owned by a private consortium on a long-term lease.Credit: Brook Mitchell
In the interim, business consortium Carsingha Investments sought broad-ranging permission to stage outdoor events such as arts exhibitions, food and drink stalls, mini golf, ice skating, markets and film production to complement the nearby Fox Studios.
Chairman Tony Shepherd said the application would allow EQ to continue its current program for the next five years “so we don’t have to do a full-scale DA every time we want to run an event”.
However, it attracted 24 objections from surrounding residents who baulked at the prospect of activities taking place any day of the week between 7am and midnight, such as DJs and music.
In talks with the City of Sydney council, Carsingha excluded the old Sydney Roosters HQ building from the plans, slashed the capacity from 8000 to 3000 people, and agreed the application did not cover concerts or music events. Any amplified music would be background only and end by 10pm.
The decision means a range of events can be held at the Entertainment Quarter without needing a new DA each time.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
A local planning panel chaired by former Liberal minister Rob Stokes approved the revised plan on Wednesday after council officers said it “will not unreasonably compromise the amenity of nearby properties”.
But the reduced program still garnered nine further objections from neighbours concerned about noise, parking and commercialisation of public space.
Centennial Park resident Antony Reynolds said he would be too afraid to take his car anywhere if daily events were approved and objected to ambient music. “OMG it’ll be like living in a shopping centre!” he wrote.
Leonie de Groen said the Moore Park precinct did not need more of the same activities. “All of these represent unnecessary and totally inappropriate monetisation of public spaces, as well as increasing the problem of noise that our neighbourhood endures weekly,” she wrote. “Give the City of Sydney back its parklands and get rid of the avaricious moneymakers.”
A Fatboy Slim gig at the Entertainment Quarter in May 2023.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
One objector, whose name was redacted, said there had already been a massive increase in noise from Moore Park over the past year, citing the redevelopment of Allianz Stadium and the Minns government’s decision to increase the annual event cap.
“There are already people that walk along the footpath that bounce their basketball continuously as they walk,” the person wrote. “It is incredibly noisy … You may think that it sounds trivial, but I am pretty sure you wouldn’t like it outside where you live.”
While overlooked in this case, ongoing resistance from some neighbours may influence any future attempt to redevelop the 11-hectare Entertainment Quarter precinct.
In 2014, the Carsingha consortium owned by businessmen Gerry Harvey, John Singleton and Mark Carnegie paid $80 million to lease the EQ until 2036. In 2019, it lodged an unsolicited proposal to redevelop the site, but withdrew it in 2022 when new legislation – the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Act – meant any new lease would go to open tender.
The consortium wants the government to review those terms and extend the lease. Shepherd said the group had discussed its plans with the Minns government but was still awaiting a response. “We’re keeping our mouth shut until the government decides what process it wants to follow.”
A NSW government spokesperson said any decision regarding the site’s future would take into account the requirements of the legislation.
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