Dear Supporter,
SFS redevelopment – Impact on Moore Park
We’ve made a further short submission to the Department of Planning. This can be seen here. It addresses these concerns:
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The approval process is being trashed, with a proposed stadium design announced that bears an unknown relationship to the EIS, and decommissioning of the stadium ahead of approval from the Minister for Planning.
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INSW is taking the view that because SFS redevelopment is confined to SCG Trust land, Moore Park will be unaffected. Thus potential impacts on the Park are being ignored.
Demolition phase
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Proposed location of concrete crusher adjacent to Moore Park will impact Park users – excessive noise and dust
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Demolition Environmental Management Plan isn’t required to take Moore Park impacts into account
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City of Sydney and the community should have the opportunity to express views on the draft Construction Pedestrian and Traffic Management Plan.
Stadium concept
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Visual impact for users of Moore Park continues to be understated
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Overshadowing on Kippax Lake, an environmentally sensitive area, is more extensive than we’d realised and the newly announced stadium design may make this worse.
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Pedestrian linkages in Moore Park – need to protect Kippax Lake
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Transport, traffic and parking – INSW should be required to prepare a draft Travel Demand Management Strategy and Green Travel Plan
A Community Consultative Committee should be established as soon as practicable as a key
vehicle for consultation with the community on all aspects of the redevelopment.
We had a meeting this week with senior Departmental officials. It was constructive and we believe they are listening to community views generally and particularly to groups like Saving Moore Park. No date as yet about when they’ll be putting recommendations to their Minister, but our impression is that their review assessment is reasonably well advanced.
Royal Hall of Industries & Hordern Pavilion
The PlayOn Group, a partnership between PlayBill Venue Management and the Sydney Swans, was successful in securing a 27-year lease for these two iconic buildings following a competitive tender process. We welcome this outcome, which will see $65 million spent on upgrades to both buildings and provide the community with enhanced access. As well as a public café and museum, the new space will house an international standard netball court and a multi-purpose recreation and function space that will be accessible to the community 200 nights a year. Fences will come down and the whole site will be more easily accessible. More details here.
A new bus loop for Moore Park
The bus loop around Tramway Oval, opposite the SCG, is to be relocated closer to Anzac Parade. A media release can be seen here.
Points to note: Moving the loop will free up parkland. The large, ugly bus structures opposite the SCG will also be removed. Tramway Oval will be enlarged for use by the Sydney Swans as a training venue but will also be available for community sporting teams. A wider sweep of parkland will be enhanced. Work is expected to begin in December 2018.
While the Government promises more green space, this will only be meaningful if the community can gain ready access to it. Fences in the area are currently a major barrier to movement through the park, and we look forward to their disappearance. The use of logs rather than fences to mark the boundary of the Roosters training field works well and provides for easy community access when not being used by the Roosters. To update an old avian adage, “What’s good for the Roosters is good for the Swans”.
Toll House restoration
The 1860 Toll House, the last surviving example of its kind in NSW, is currently undergoing restoration. It’s part of a complex which also comprises 1921 brick clubhouse additions and a 1924 depot building. Information on the restoration can be seen here and on its history here.
With this newsletter are a couple of photos from a sneak preview we had this week. It’s good to see the restoration of this important relic of our colonial past and the 1920s buildings. Once the restoration has been completed, we look forward to seeing how the Toll House will be used to enhance the community’s enjoyment of Moore Park.
A postscript for tree lovers: The superbly proportioned fig tree at the rear has been preserved and will cast a protective mantle over the restored buildings for years to come.
Michael Waterhouse
28 October 2018
