Community fears government’s grasp on Harold Park

Plans to make the Harold Park trotting track a state significant site for redevelopment have local authorities and community groups worried that they will be barred from decision-making.
Control of the site would be stripped from Leichhardt and Sydney City Councils and handed to the Planning Minister by Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, a procedure widely criticised for its failure to safeguard community consultation.
“The City does not support the future of the site being determined under Part 3A planning legislation and believes any rezoning should be considered through the City’s rigorous and comprehensive consultation processes,” said a City of Sydney spokesperson.
The NSW Harness Racing Club intends to rezone the site before putting it up for sale, and believes that pitching Harold Park as state significant is the most practical and efficient way to do it.
Greens Councillor Chris Harris said the Part 3A planning process was corrupt and provided no guarantee of transparency in consultation.
“We, the Greens have no confidence in the Part 3A consultation process. We think it’s a sham. And we think that if the Minister is the one who determines this, then community wishes will be ignored,” said Cr Harris.
But Harness Racing CEO John Dumesny said declaring the site state significant was the best way to include all parties.
“That way everybody concerned can have their say,” he said.
“We can have the best architects, the best urban planners to come up with what is ideal for a very unique piece of property.”
The paceway sits on the border of Leichhardt and Sydney City municipalities. Mr Dumesny said there was a risk that the needs of residents on the western side of the site would be ignored if the City were to take control.
But Cr Harris said Harold Park was clearly within the jurisdiction of the City: “I really think the future of the trotting club should be decided by discussions with the City council.
“We have all the capabilities to do a really good job on that consultation and the master planning process. The City would be better placed than anybody to do that, and that’s where it should be, not in some dodgy deal in the Minister’s office,” he said.
Niel Macindoe of the Glebe Society said the Racing Club’s intentions to make the site state significant caused a lot of community anxiety, and that the NSW Government’s history of consultation was poor.
“The State Government’s decisions under section 3A have attracted a lot of flak. There is major concern in the community that it’s entirely the wrong way to go, and it would be a real worry if the Minister did decide to take it over, for a variety of reasons, but mainly just on the record on what they’ve done, and their failure to consult properly,” he said.
Mr Dumesny denied that putting the site in the planning minister’s hands would leave local authorities out of the process but said it would speed up development considerably: “It’s more efficient to go straight to the planning department, and include Sydney City, so you get a right outcome.”
Cr Harris said the site had potential for a variety of uses, including markets, sporting facilities and light rail infrastructure.