Caution urged on Domain development

By Hannah Paine

Plans to develop the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Domain have divided local residents. Some warn the changes will privatise and sanitise precious open space.

The proposal, announced two weeks ago, will see a significant amount of public parkland developed over 25 years. The plans include leasing land adjacent to the Domain car park for a 5-star hotel and erecting a permanent sound shell for concerts in the Domain.

A harbour viewing platform near Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and a new ferry wharf and train station would also be added. It is estimated the proposed changes will cost in excess of $130 million.

The proposal would constitute the first significant major change to the historic land in its 198-year history. In addition, the public space in the Domain forms part of a limited area of parkland in inner-city Sydney where most residents live in apartments.

While City of Sydney councillor John Mant is in favour of creating more amenities in public space to encourage greater usage, he objects to any plans that commercialise parkland.

“There is a big difference between having a cup of coffee in a park café and having one in a five star hotel,” Cr Mant said.

“Governments should not be trying to create a stream of income from land for which they are only trustees. Public space should not be privatised.”

Recent years have seen parts of both the Botanical Gardens and Domain increasingly closed off for private functions. In the financial period of 2012-13 there were more than 2000 such closures.

Woolloomooloo resident Carl Knipp believes the plan will ensure better usage of the area for the public.

“I am not opposed to the plan as long as it is properly managed,” he said.

“It will open up the space. A lot of the time there are fences up because there are private events on, and during the week it’s practically deserted.”

Graeme Curtis, convener of Greening Woolloomooloo, a local organisation committed to creating public gardens and preserving green space, agreed.

“I’m generally in favour of it. It will remain public space. It’s just changing the use of it,” he said.

“The hotel plans seem to be subtle, and they don’t seem to be encroaching on too much space and people’s views.”

But Helen Crossing, convener of the 2011 Residents’ Association, is unhappy with the plans. Ms Crossing has lived in Potts Point for six years and believes  the development will have serious health effects for those that live locally.

“People walk through the Domain for work,” she said.

“Keeping that parkland is really key for a lot of them to get some exercise.”

Ms Crossing is concerned that further development would encroach on exercise areas.

“Getting rid of the green space in the Domain would be encouraging people to be unfit. The public have a right to places to play sport and getting something green to look at.”

She also expects the proposal to “sanitise” the area.

“It will commercialise it to a point that it loses its charm.

“To be fair to the whole of Sydney that space needs to be preserved, we need to preserve that very small piece of parkland in a large city for the health of the people.”

The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust encourage residents to provide feedback on the master plan at www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au until May 31. The City of Sydney will release an official response to residents’ concerns in coming weeks.