I worked closely with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes to get outcomes for Moore Park and the former showgrounds land through his Greater Sydney Parklands Trust legislation.

The bill codifies the recent arrangement that created a single super trust for all parkland estates in Sydney including the Centennial Parklands and Callan Park.

Following negotiations, we achieved a legislated date to remove all event car parking from Moore Park. I congratulate Michael Waterhouse and the team from Saving Moore Park for their successful advocacy. My amendments to require an open tender process for all public recreation land under trust passed and will exclude ‘unsolicited proposals’ including on the former showground site where a proposal for commercial development is advancing behind closed doors.

My amendment to limit the length of leases on the Centennial Parklands to 50 years also passed, overturning a change introduced in 2012 that allowed 99-year leases – essentially freehold ownership – which was opposed at the time only by then Member for Sydney Clover Moore, Jamie Parker MP and independents.   

Other amendments that passed ensure greater connections between the trust and the communities who use the parklands in response to concerns that a large trust could operate as a bureaucracy rather than public custodian. My speech and amendments > HERE.  

These are big achievements for our parklands and I hope that they are not reversed in the Legislative Council, which has moved to send the bill to a committee. I encourage everyone to make submissions when they are open in support of public green space for recreation > HERE.