Liberal councillor knocks City of Sydney’s ‘silent’ response to Pyrmont community centre concerns

By DANIEL LO SURDO

A Liberal councillor has lashed the City of Sydney and lord mayor Clover Moore’s efforts to relocate the Pyrmont Community Centre ahead of its $4.5 million refurbishment, calling for a better public relocation process to ensure that “this ineptitude doesn’t happen again”.

Shauna Jarrett, a City of Sydney councillor who entered Town Hall after last year’s local elections, said that she had not received a response from Cr Moore after writing to highlight the community’s concern for the planned relocation over a month ago.

The Pyrmont development was approved in December, with construction expected to begin later this year. The refurbishment will upgrade after school care service facilities and play equipment, expand the gym area, and build an additional 60 square metre community room.

Cr Jarrett said that she will table a notice of motion at Monday’s City of Sydney council meeting to find a solution to relocating the Pyrmont Community Centre, following “council’s inaction” on the matter.

Relocation venues from Pyrmont inaccessible: community member 

The Convenor of the Friends of Pyrmont Community Centre, Mary Mortimer, said that the City’s proposed relocation venues such as the Ultimo Community Centre and Maybanke Recreation Centre wouldn’t be “accessible for older residents and people with disabilities” or support the existing programs in place at Pyrmont.

The City has said that the refurbishment will “add more facilities and upgrade the community spaces in the centre”, adding that “there is strong community demand for the centre’s existing programs and facilities”.

A spokesperson for the lord mayor confirmed to City Hub that community programs will be taking place at the Maybanke and Ultimo Community Centres, with the City currently investigating the feasibility of providing a bus service from Pyrmont to Ultimo Community Centre “for specific activities, including weekly choir rehearsals and monthly community dinners”.

They also said that council staff are considering “other options” to maintain programs for the local community during the planned works, but would not confirm if Cr Moore had received and not responded to Cr Jarrett’s message, adding instead that the lord mayor was “aware of the community’s concerns and is currently working with City staff to provide a fair solution”.