Decision details

Moved by Councillors Phelps, seconded by Councillor Forster –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          on 21 September 2020, Council unanimously passed a motion which resolved for the Lord Mayor to write to the Premier, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the Hon. Rob Stokes MP, requesting that the NSW Government agree to the permanent removal of event on-grass car parking at Moore Park, effective immediately;

(ii)         parking on Moore Park North was suspended by the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust for regular rugby union and rugby league games earlier in 2020 due to the limited size of crowds attending these games;

(iii)        this cessation to car parking on Moore Park North was reversed as cars were allowed to park on this grassed area for the Rugby League semi-final held at the SFS on 9 October 2020, and for the Cricket games held at the SCG on 27 and 29 November, and 6 and 8 December 2020 despite the still limited attendance to these games;

(iv)       the NSW Government adopted the Moore Park Masterplan, which proposes the cessation of on-grass car parking, in 2016. However, the NSW Government is still yet to allocate any funding towards its implementation;

(v)         Moore Park is seriously degraded after decades of on-grass car parking in connection with sporting events at the SCG and SFS and under-investment by the NSW Government; and

 

(vi)       especially during the Covid-19 pandemic this open space is vitally important for the physical and mental wellbeing of the community;

(B)        the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the Hon. Rob Stokes MP, seeking advice as to when and what level of funding will be made available for the Moore Park Master Plan, and specifically for the remediation and revitalisation of those areas of Moore Park where there has been on-grass car parking; and

(C)       the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)          liaise with Greater Sydney Parklands to request that event on-grass car parking is permanently removed at Moore Park;

(ii)         liaise with the Greater Sydney Parklands Board and Management to respond to the needs identified by the community to develop and implement the proposal in Moore Park Master Plan 2040 for the remediation and revitalisation of Moore Park East;

(iii)        liaise with the private sporting codes operating at Moore Park to request the permanent removal of event on-grass parking, and the implementation of integrated ticketing for all events at Moore Park;

(iv)       investigate other incentives that encourage public transport and reduce private vehicle use for people going to events at Moore Park; and

(v)         report back to Councillors via the CEO Update.

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Note – the motion above was not carried. The resolution as below was carried –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          for years, the Lord Mayor and the community have successfully advocated against the continued alienation of Moore Park by successive NSW Governments;

(ii)         in 1992, when the Lord Mayor’s private members bill, the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust (Macquarie Sydney Common) Amendment Bill stopped plans to rezone the Showground site for sale and development when the Royal Agricultural Society moved to Homebush, the Lord Mayor has advocated to NSW Governments to protect Moore Park and stop prioritising commercial interests over the public interest;

(iii)        in 2010, the Lord Mayor chaired a packed Paddington Town Hall meeting with speakers; Neville Wran, Malcolm Turnbull, and David Shoebridge and representatives of local community groups that stopped the transfer of Moore Park East to The Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust; 

(iv)       at that meeting, the Lord Mayor advocated strongly for Light Rail to Moore Park precinct to reduce the reliance on private vehicle use and the necessity for on-grass car parking, and promote more sustainable transport modes to the area;

(v)         following a resolution of Council on 21 September 2020, the Lord Mayor wrote to the NSW Government requesting the immediate and permanent removal of on-grass car parking at Moore Park and seeking a commitment that the Government work with the sporting codes operating at Moore Park on integrated ticketing to encourage more sustainable modes of transport to the precinct;

(vi)       the NSW Premier, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP, confirmed in her response to the Lord Mayor’s letter that she has referred the matter to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the Hon. Rob Stokes MP who has yet to respond; 

(vii)      despite a meeting between the members of Saving Moore Park Inc. and the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces on 8 October 2020, on-grass car parking has continued;

(viii)     Moore Park is seriously degraded after decades of on-grass car parking in connection with sporting events at the SCG and SFS and under-investment by the NSW State Government;

(ix)       especially during the Covid-19 pandemic this open space is vitally important for the physical and mental wellbeing of the community;

(x)         following a recent meeting between the Hon. Alex Greenwich MP and the Alliance of Moore Park Sports, which is made up of the main sporting codes operating at Moore Park, an agreement was reached to work with the community towards a pathway out of on-grass parking at Moore Park; and

(xi)       the Lord Mayor has been invited by the Hon. Alex Greenwich MP to attend any future discussions between him, the Alliance of Moore Park Sports and the community early next year; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)          liaise with Greater Sydney Parklands to request that event on-grass car parking is permanently removed at Moore Park;

(ii)         liaise with the Greater Sydney Parklands Board and Management to respond to the needs identified by the community to develop and implement the proposal in Moore Park Master Plan 2040 for the remediation and revitalisation of Moore Park East, specifically the Kippax Lake area;

(iii)        approach the NSW Government and the sporting codes that operate at Moore Park about developing and implementing a program with the City to encourage public transport use and reduce reliance on private vehicles use for people going to events at Moore Park; and

(iv)       report back to Councillors via the CEO Update.

The amendment was carried on the following show of hands –

Ayes (6)          The Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Kok, Miller, Scott, Scully and Thalis

Noes (3)          Councillor Chung, Forster and Phelps.

Amendment carried.

The amended motion was carried unanimously.

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