Similar Notices of Motion appeared before both the City of Sydney Council and Inner West Council at their last meetings, although the motion before Inner West Council, which demanded the consideration of a new community festival in Newtown, was delayed due to time constraints. The motion will come under discussion at the next Inner West Council meeting.
Deputy Mayor Sylvie Ellsmore put forward a Notice of Motion at the last City of Sydney Council meeting on Monday 26 June, calling for support for a Sydney Street Festival in Newtown to replace the Newtown Festival, previously organised by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, a local not-for-profit organisation.
Newtown Festival started in 1983 but, in recent years, the team behind the fundraising festival was stretched to its limits, and the event began to run at a financial loss. The hefty logistical mountain of managing bookings, security, fencing and insurance eventually became insurmountable.
Greens Councillor Liz Atkins, who raised a remarkably similar Notice of Motion in the agenda for the last Inner West Council meeting, told City Hub that “like most residents” she was “sad” to see Newtown Festival go, although she recognised “the huge amount of work it took to organise”.
“It leaves Newtown without a Newtown community festival of any kind,” the Deputy Mayor stated in the aforementioned City of Sydney Council meeting.
Describing the motion as a “first step” towards Newtown obtaining a large-scale community event once again, Cr Ellsmore emphasised the vibrant nature of the suburb: “Outside of the CBD, King Street and Bondi are the two busiest business strips that exist in our city.”
In the Notice of Motion before Council, Cr Ellsmore noted that the City of Sydney Council has a Sydney Streets program “where major streets, including high streets, are closed once or twice a year to traffic, to celebrate neighbourhoods.” The Sydney Streets program has a budget of close to $2 million.
The motion requested that Lord Mayor Clover Moore write to the Mayor of the Inner West Council, Darcy Bryne, pitching the idea of a collaborative, Sydney Streets style, community event. It also requested that the City of Sydney CEO investigation options for a festival, consult with local communities and report back to Council.
King Street forms the border between the City of Sydney local government area (LGA) and the Inner West LGA with part of Newtown falling within the City of Sydney’s jurisdiction and the other portion falling within the Inner West Council’s jurisdiction.
With some minor alterations from Councillor Adam Worling, the motion passed unanimously.
Cr Atkins is hopeful that both councils will make progress, despite the Inner West Council’s delay in addressing the issue.
“I think it will be great to see something more focused on the community and local businesses and performers, as Inner West’s current festivals are and the City of Sydney’s Sydney Streets program is.”
“I am hopeful that my motion has the support of other councillors and that staff from both councils will work together to bring us a successful event, along the lines of the recent Celebrate South King”, they continued. “Imagine that festival with both sides of King Street involved.”
