‘Massive Stitch-Up’: Byrne Offers Up Inner West Parks After City Council’s Festival Ban Slammed

In response to the City of Sydney’s decision to stand by a motion to ban events and festivals that may cause damage to local parks, the Inner West Council has invited displaced event organisers to consider their venues instead.

“Sydney can’t afford to lose any more of its live music events and we disagree with the City of Sydney about the use of parks for these cultural activities,” said Mayor Darcy Byrne on Friday morning.

“Where large-scale events impact on the turf in parks, a simple condition requiring the organisers to fund the remediation costs is the answer to that problem. Banning the use of parks and cancelling events is a retrograde step.”

On Monday night the Council considered a motion to reverse their 2022 decision to decline bookings for commercial events that may cause prolonged damage to local parks, but declined to pass it.

The decision was made after the last Night Noodle Markets in Hyde Park in 2019 caused significant harm to the grass. It cost $200,000 to remediate the damage, with the park shut to visitors for 12 weeks.

Even after the event was relocated to Prince Alfred Park, it resulted in another extended closure, cutting off locals’ access.

Although they voted against the motion, the Council committed to investigating how to host more events in laneways and roadways, and encouraged the State Government to lower fees on some of its inner-city sites that feature hard surfaces for staging and vehicle access, such as Tumbalong Park and Barangaroo.

Parks managed by the City of Sydney include Hyde Park, Sydney Park in Alexandria, and Pirrama Park in Pyrmont.

The City continues to support cultural one-day events like Mardi Gras Fair Day, Yabun Festival, and Pyrmont Food and Wine Festival.

Minns says motion “a massive stitch-up”

The City of Sydney has faced some backlash for the decision since Monday’s motion, with Premier Chris Minns telling the Daily Telegraph earlier in the week that Moore’s decision was a “big mistake.”

“To say this is just in relation to climate change is just a massive stitch-up, I mean I think [the council] should be fair dinkum – if they don’t want to have community festivals they should just come out and say it,” he said.

“My government has made big efforts, major strides, to open up more open space in the CBD. We’ve caught a lot of criticism for it, particularly around Moore Park.

“We’re not going to continue to do those kinds of changes if, in the end, they’re going to be locked up and hermetically sealed and people will be stopped from accessing open space.

“The decision needs to be reversed. Sydney is not just (for) the residents if you’re going to be the mayor…have to think about that responsibility.”

Moore told City Hub that Minns’ statement “shocked” her.

“Having a fun event in a park one day is great, but when the park is fenced off for months of costly turf remediation, the fun stops,” she said. 

“Climate change has made our weather less predictable and more extreme. The impact of prolonged periods of heavy rain is significant.

“I have encouraged the Premier to call me if he has an issue with Council policy, and we will find a resolution for our city,” said Moore. “Pot shots like this do nothing but perpetuate the myth Sydney can’t manage nightlife or culture and I’m sick of it – we’ve got so much going for us, and we have to stop talking ourselves down.”

In a statement, the City of Sydney said they “need to get the balance right” between peoples’ access to parks and the opportunity to experience outdoor shows and festivals.

“Those larger festival events are better placed in the State Government-controlled parks that have bigger open areas, such as The Domain or Centennial Park. These spaces also include hard surfaces for staging and access, which cause less turf disruption with vehicles bumping in and out.”