Waverley Council has renewed calls for the protection of Centennial Parklands.
It comes after the public submission period for the NSW Government’s draft Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Bill closed on Friday 29 October.
The draft Bill proposes to create a new Greater Sydney Parklands Trust (GSPT) to manage any new parks the GSPT may own in the future as well as existing lands of associated trusts including Centennial Parklands (including Moore and Queens parks).
In September 2020, the Council made a submission to the state government in which it called for:
- The independence of the Centennial and Moore Park Trust, and other local parklands trusts, to preserve and protect independent local governing authorities of public parkland in NSW.
- providing recurrent State funding for the parkland to ensure there is no need for commercialisation of public parkland.
- Committing to ensuring the objects of the Agency [GSPT] are directed towards preserving and protecting open, green spaces and public parklands
- Ensuring a governance model that will allow for a sufficient level of local community input.
At this month’s Council meeting, Council resolved to write to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, about its concerns about the draft Bill and what it means for the Waverley community.
It also resolved to make a submission on the draft Bill that reflects the concerns Council raised it its submission last September including:
- Consideration being given to establishing a specific Community Trustee Board for Centennial Park and Moore Park (rather than a group that covers a number of different parklands) and that a Council representative be appointed to that Board
- Safeguarding any income generated from Centennial Park, Queens Park and Moore Park is spent on Centennial Park, Queens Park and Moore Park.
- Requesting a four-week extension on the exhibition period.
A Council spokesperson said a request for an extension of the consultation period to allow the community to make submission has been rejected.
“Nevertheless, we still strongly believe that the public needs more time to understand what is being proposed in the draft Bill,” the spokesperson said.
“It’s vitally important that these public green spaces are protected from over commercialism and over development.
“Waverley residents regard Centennial Park, Queens Park and Moore Park as our backyard. It provides the rare open space we crave for our physical and mental health and wellbeing.”
Waverley Council will continue to provide updates about the status of the draft Bill.
