Image: Source: wikipedia.org
By Lauren O’Connor
International tourism stakeholders have labelled Labor proposals for Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and the Royal Botanical Gardens as a loss for Sydney.
Tourist coaches were targetted in a statement by newly appointed State Opposition Leader Luke Foley, who described them as an ‘eyesore’. Foley proposed to ‘return Mrs Macquarie’s Point back to the people’ by moving all traffic 150 meters up from the headland.
“It ought to be possible to view Mrs. Macquarie’s Point from other vantage points on the harbor and simply see the stunning natural headland, without a conga line of tourist coaches,” he said.
Australia Wide Coaches and Gray Line Sydney both frequent Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair because of its unique vantage point and attraction as a photo opportunity.
General Manager Richard Dawes has 33 years’ experience in the industry and says Foley’s move to take away access to the site would be a blow to tourism.
“It’s one of the main draw cards. If we were to take that away, the opportunity not to visit easily… he may as well get in contact with Tourism Australia and say, look, don’t bother advertising Sydney.”
Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is located near eastern side of Royal Botanic Gardens, between Farm Cove and Woolloomooloo Bay and is popular for its view of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House.
Foley rejects State Liberal plans for a viewing platform and proposes to make the lookout strictly pedestrian access. Bus and coach companies say they already struggle finding parking at the site and are concerned that an extended walk to the point will turn tourists off visiting.
On New Years’ Eve morning Mrs Macquarie’s Chair on the Yurong Peninsula was filled to its capacity of 16,000 by revellers watching the fireworks. It was estimated that 20,000 people watched the celebrations from the Royal Botanical Garden this year.
Dawes however insists that the majority of those who visit are not residents but international and domestic tourists who are more likely than not, to have arrived there by coach.
“Realistically the majority of people that visit Mrs Macquarie’s Chair are tourists…and this is where Luke Foley needs to get out of Macquarie Street and jump down there or get together with some of the industry bodies,” he said.
Tourism bodies are more than happy to discuss changes, particularly where coach services, parking and facilities are concerned he added. In April, Labor opposed the State Government’s $130 million master plan to develop a hotel and permanent music dome in the Botanical Gardens and nearby Domain.
The development was scrapped in December following a consultation period in which 58% of the public said they were ‘concerned’ about commercialisation of the public space. Both Foley and former Prime Minister Paul Keating have been consistently critical of plans for a 150-room Botanic Hotel and revamp of the Domain.
Keating told The Sydney Morning Herald in April that less development occurring in the Royal Botanical Gardens, was better, and he was pleased imposing structures would not be built at Mrs Macquarie’s Point. “The more we respect the natural Domain and provide less accommodation for spectacle the better,” he said.
