Friends of Baranga-who?

Opposition Councillors have questioned the intentions of the new ‘Friends of Barangaroo’ group.

Independent Councillors Marcelle Hoff and John McInerney launched the group last Friday with the stated goal of campaigning against the over-development of Barangaroo.

The group will work with existing community groups in opposing the current Lend Lease proposal for the site.

Cr Hoff, who before joining Council played a major role in saving what is now Pirrama Park in Pyrmont from over-development, identified her role in the group as a grassroots “community organiser”.

“What I’m doing is listening to the community [and] encouraging them,” she said.

“Those grassroots principles are things like empowering [the community] to act, and then of course supporting them in their endeavours –without superimposing a power over them, [which] ensures that they own the campaign.”

“We’re really saying to the government that it’s time to rethink the whole development – they shouldn’t just proceed in isolation with Lend Lease,” said Cr McInerney, who is also a member of the Barangaroo Action Group.

“It’s too important to the future of Sydney to be done in such a way which is effectively a done deal.”

Cr McInerney said Friends of Barangaroo was committed to similar outcomes as the Barangaroo Action Group, the difference being that it called on another section of the community.

“It [the BAG] has its own network of connections which it’s got through ads in the paper and other things but there’s a whole different group that can be energised through Marcelle’s connections,” he said.

But Greens Councillor Chris Harris said Friends of Barangaroo was a “misconceived idea”.

“I think all it will do is dilute the very effective campaign conducted to date by the BAG,” he said.

“[The BAG are] certainly creating a profile and I think they should be supported by resources from the City and people getting behind them.

“I just can’t see that it’s going to be helpful – in fact I think it will confuse people, and I think the only people that will be happy about this will be Lend Lease and the State Government.”

Liberal Councillor Shayne Mallard was far more scathing.

“I think that the Friends of Barangaroo has been set up to be a lapdog of Clover Moore – a soft lobby group that won’t criticise the Lord Mayor,” he said.

“The BAG has called for her to resign from the board and is critical of her conflict of interest. So the Clover Moore Political Party has set up a group to essentially undermine the efforts of the BAG and to protect the Lord Mayor.”

But Cr McInerney denied Clover Moore was involved with the group.

“She’s aware of it, but she’s not involved,” he said.

Friends of Barangaroo’s first event is a rally that will take place on Saturday 19 June.