Council Protest to Moore Park Transfer

Sydney City Council is hosting a public protest meeting to oppose State Government plans to transfer control of Moore Park to the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust.

The meeting, which a Sydney City Council statement describes as "urgent"

Speakers include Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP, former NSW Premier Neville Wran and Federal Member for Wentworth Malcolm Turnbull. John Walker, Chairman of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust has also been invited to speak.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said the meeting is an opportunity for people to voice their opposition to the proposed takeover at Moore Park by the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust, stating "Centennial Park and Moore Park are vital, green open spaces for local residents in the increasingly densely populated surrounding suburbs. The parklands are iconic and historic, and should be protected and increased for all Sydney residents, now and into the future.

"I fear that under management by the SCG Trust, Moore Park will be subject to increasing commercialisation and alienation for buildings, and car parking will be expanded further onto parklands.

"The Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust primarily serves its paying members, and other stakeholders with vested interests, and has an interest in maximising car parking and the commercial use of the parklands. Increasing parking is not a solution to the current unacceptable and unsustainable gridlock before and after events at the SCG.

"The State Government has already forced the Trust to rely on revenue from carparking and events just to maintain these precious parklands instead of providing responsible funding levels.

"A sporting authority cannot provide the same protection to Moore Park as a public lands trust, whose role is to manage and maintain open and accessible parklands."