Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore responds to criticism on Green Public spaces

This week Council considered reversing our 2022 decision to decline bookings for commercial events that may cause prolonged damage to local parks.

We stood by the call, originally made following community outrage about the lengthy closure of Prince Alfred Park to remediate damage done during the Night Noodle Markets.

“The Tele picked up on the story and offered some horticultural advice laced with climate scepticism (they were keen to advise me that “grass grows back”) but it was the Premier’s alarmist broadside – questioning my ability to serve our global city and threatening to limit the delivery of new public space if we didn’t reverse the decision – that really shocked me.”

Having a fun event in a park one day is great, but when the park is fenced off for months of costly turf remediation, the fun stops. The impact of prolonged periods of heavy rain is significant.

When the Noodle Markets were last in Hyde Park, remediating damage took 12 weeks and cost over $200,000. 12 weeks closed to CBD workers looking for a spot to sit over lunch and closed to the tourists who enjoy it as a gateway to the city centre.

We looked for an alternative and relocated the event to Prince Alfred Park. It resulted in another lengthy closure in which local residents and workers around Redfern and Central lost access to their parkland.

Unique outdoor events have always been a key part of how we enjoy Sydney. We work hard to balance the protection of our public spaces with the need to create fun events in the city.

Sometimes that is in a park. Like Mardi Gras Fair Day, the Pyrmont Food and Wine Festival (which is on this weekend in Pirrama Park!), our Christmas concerts or New Year’s Eve vantage points. And it’s wonderful that festivals have a place in our city’s bigger outdoor expanses, like at The Domain or Centennial Park.

But increasingly we’re looking for opportunities to facilitate events on hard surfaces. This year we’re hosting more than 200 events on civic spaces and roadways.

We also suggested the Premier consider lowering the Government’s fees for use of its prime inner-city sites, because they’re cost prohibitive and force organisers to turn to Council. Tumbalong Park and Barangaroo include hard surfaces for staging and vehicular access, which causes less turf disruption. The Premier called this suggestion “a massive stitch-up”.

In recent years the City and State have worked collaboratively to support cultural life in Sydney, from outdoor dining and street closure parties to the introduction of Special Entertainment Precincts. We share a vision for a city that is buzzing, with a nightlife and live music scene we can be proud of.

I have encouraged the Premier to call me if he has an issue with Council policy, and we will find a resolution for our city. Pot shots like this do nothing but perpetuate the myth Sydney can’t manage nightlife or culture and I’m sick of it – we’ve got so much going for us, and we have to stop talking ourselves down.