Fitzroy Gardens rebuild back on, like it or not

A third public meeting about Council’s planned rebuild of Fitzroy Gardens, home of the famous El Alamein fountain, is to be held on Wednesday August 18.

A flyer letterboxed to all residents refers to “extensive consultation” on the project, but many locals just want the heritage-significant site left alone apart from minor maintenance and improvements.

Unfortunately these views are excluded from the consultation, as Council had decided on the scope and budget of the project, and appointed designers, before the first public meeting.

The second meeting presented three design options for comment, all involving a complete makeover. Several people walked out when they realised their preference to leave the park as is, had been ignored.

Council’s report on the meeting’s outcome stated: “Participants who responded positively to this approach appeared to like the design of the park and the position of trees and playground staying more or less the same. It was a positive response therefore, to retain the status quo, with a ‘clean up’.”

The primary justification for the $6 million, 12-month rebuild was a few “cracked and broken pavers” which Council had been neglecting, but has long since been repaired.

Feedback from the meetings showed the biggest gripe was the ubiquitous ibis poo that rains from the trees above. But the trees they roost in were also very popular with locals and one design option proposing relocation of the giant fig tree in the centre of the park was howled down. To date there are no plans to remove the ibis, and critics say that any new paving would be just as stained within weeks.

The original plans provided no alternative site for the popular weekend markets. Now, after City News raised questions about the markets, the new flyer has Lord Mayor Clover Moore talking about “making room for the markets”. It is unclear whether this means keeping them going during construction work or re-distributing stalls in a new garden layout. The design options mostly have the market stalls spread out in a rectangle around the perimeter, with a large grassed area in the centre.

While the latest flyer invites us to “view the plans and comment online”, searches of the City’s website reveal only the same 2008 plans.

“Council should publish its plans before the consultation meeting. People can’t give feedback on a plan they haven’t seen,” said local resident Sacha Blumen.

Jo Holder from Darlinghurst Residents’ Action Group thinks the present layout of the park has heritage value.

“I think heritage argument is very strong,” she said. “The fountain has just been nominated to State Heritage. There is therefore an argument the park should be as well kept in keeping with the period.”

“The consultation is a sham with a pre-determined outcome,” she said.

The meeting will be in the Rex Centre next to the Gardens, 6pm Wednesday August 18.

by Michael Gormly