Save the greenspace in Moore Park: Community

BY ANGIRA BHARADWAJ
The Centennial Parkland and Moore Park Trust has invited the community to give its say on the ‘7 big ideas’ for the 150 year old park.

With 60,000 new residents expected on the Western side of the parklands over the next 20 years, the trust wants to understand what users of the park want for its future.

Community members have called for a greater focus on preserving parkland in response to proposed ideas for the future of Moore Park.

The governing body has introduced an online survey to invite community feedback on its plan for the park’s future management.

President of resident group The Paddington Society, Will Mrongovius, said he thought it was too early to comment on the effectiveness of the proposed ideas, but that the community needed to “critically review” the plans.

“This 7 ideas comes from Centennial Parklands so they will be trying to get the answers they want as well,” Mr Mrongovius said.

He said that removing on-grass parking and making the government accountable for the park’s funding were important issues.

“Giving Centennial Parklands a million dollars for a piece of land means that that million dollars can be spent in a heartbeat and you’ve lost that land forever.”

Mr Mrongovius told City Hub he was opposed to “reduction of any amount of parkland” to account for the light rail and other developments.

“How come Cenntennial Parklands can’t tell us exactly how much land has been lost over the years since it was set up?”

He said he thought the public should not limit itself to the governing body’s proposed ideas, but provide their own ideas as well.

“We welcome this but there’s a long, long way to go and there are lots of predators circling like the cricket ground trust and other sporting venues that only have their short term selfish views.”

A spokesperson from the trust told City Hub that the next step for the future of Moore Park was the draft ‘Master plan’, due around April 2016.

He said that the community feedback would continue until December 2015.

“It’s an opportunity for the community to truly have their say and help shape the future of Moore Park,” the spokesperson said.

“We have a community consultation committee. Our interest is not just the immediate surrounds, but metropolitan Sydney, because millions of people come to use this place from Liverpool and Blacktown.”

The 7 big ideas
• Uniting the Park through tree lined urban boulevards
• Creating a green destination for health and wellbeing
• Valuing our heritage and protecting our environment
• Linking the Parklands
• Re-thinking parking and access
• A place for all to play
• Securing the future