Saving Moore Park - Newsletter #32
April 2023
Dear Supporter,
Join us to make hand-stitched poppies to hand out at the Moore Park Anzac Day Service
A quick note to update you about our activities.
ANZAC Day 2023
You’re warmly invited to bring family, friends and neighbours to the annual Moore Park ANZAC service at the historic Obelisk, corner of Moore Park Road and ANZAC Parade.
The service will begin at 5.15am and conclude at 6am. Join representatives from nearby schools, Greater Sydney Parklands, the Australian Defence Force and local sporting codes.
Erected in 1917, the Obelisk is among the oldest in Australia. For those who have attended in the past – and there were close to 500 of you last year - it is always a moving ceremony with Sydney High student cadets making up the catafalque party and a variety of politicians and civic leaders laying wreaths.
Members of the Saving Moore Park committee (and roped-in friends and neighbours) hand-stitch felt poppies which we hand out free-of-charge to attendees.
If you’d like to volunteer to help make some poppies, please contact Vivienne at savingmoorepark@gmail.com It’s great fun!
A reminder, you are also invited to commemorate the life of a loved one who has served – or is serving - in the armed forces by writing their name and service details on cards that attach to memorial stands that will be placed alongside the Obelisk. The stands will be there for a week prior to ANZAC Day and for a fortnight afterwards. It’s a great way to help children to learn about their family history and they’re strongly encouraged to get involved. We provide pens and cards, but you’re welcome to bring your own pre-prepared cards from home.
We thank Greater Sydney Parklands for its continued support for our annual ANZAC Dawn Service.
Seeking election commitment
We have written to both the NSW Coalition and NSW Labor seeking a commitment of $12 million over three years to kick-start the remediation and restoration of Moore Park, now that car-parking is being phased out. It is profoundly disappointing that the 2016 Moore Park Masterplan, that so many of you contributed your ideas to, remains unfunded. To date, only $2.5 million has been allocated to restore the park, and that’s a paltry 0.25 percent of the investment next door for the new football stadium.
We also sought from Labor, should it win Government, an unequivocal commitment not to attempt to overturn the legislated phase out timetable, that will see the final car leave the grass at the end of 2025. One or two noisy voices have opposed the phase-out process and should the election be tight, we would not like to see the Moore Park become a bargaining chip in power negotiations.
The response from the NSW Coalition is here. We received no written reply from NSW Labor. After phoning Labor, we did receive a verbal commitment that the party had no plans to overturn the legislation.
Neither party was prepared to commit to our three-year $12 million request. This is a pity, because serious park restoration costs a lot of money. Moore Park has been the sad, tired under-funded cousin of the Centennial Park group of parks for far too long. Why would any government fund it if it was to exist as a carpark for 60+ days each year? Prior to its life as carpark, it was used by the military for trench digging and as a general training and camping ground for troops heading off to war.
All this means the surface soil is heavily compacted in parts and of poor quality. Rubble can be seen poking through the surface, posing a real hazard to anyone trying to run around on it. It needs realistic expenditure if the NSW Government is serious about turning it into a magnificent place that will serve the people of Sydney into the future.
Remember, for most of the tens of thousands of people who live in apartments in growing neighbouring suburbs of Zetland, Redfern and Green Square, Moore Park is effectively their back yard. Just like the beneficiaries of the magnificent new stadium next door, these people also deserve a beautifully planted and nurtured park where they can find peace and quiet under a shady tree, or kick a ball with their kids.
Moore Park East Landscape Masterplan.
Many of you contributed to the Greater Sydney Parklands (GSP) consultation process which sought to work out how to prioritise the existing $2.5 million remediation funding package from the NSW Government. Saving Moore Park Co-President, Jason Downing, and I meet quarterly with GSP and at a recent meeting were advised the outcome (which was due for release late last year) will become public soon. It is disappointing this process is taking so long.
