Locals see red over green space plans

BY JADE MORELLINI

Residents are furious at Woollahra Council for revisiting the proposal of a Youth Recreation Facility at Rushcutters Bay Park.

Woollahra Council identified three possible locations for the youth facilities and have decided on a location beside the noisy New South Head Road and, according to Woollahra Mayor Peter Cavanagh, “won’t stand out as much.”

The council are planning a skate park, basketball court and table tennis tables for kids aged 8 – 14 to interact with, with the view of encouraging them to get outdoors.

Locals don’t feel the same, believing that by building the skate park, it will destroy a serene green space that is used by many to relax or exercise.

Family Law Court Barrister, Dixie Coulton is strongly against the proposal, “There’s little open green space in the area and if a structure was built, it would really impact adversely onto the quiet enjoyment of the park – it’s simply not big enough. I mean, I think the skateboarders do need a space, but not in Rushcutters Bay Park. It will really destroy and disturb the ambience of the area.”

Rushcutter Bay resident Timothy Mak agrees, “Once it is developed – even if development is a mistake – it can never be reversed because the green space is gone. Therefore, green space is always vulnerable and development is always possible of green space. It’s amazing we have any parks at all given this inherently unequal dynamic.”

Studies have indicated that green spaces reduce stress and positively impacts on mental wellbeing, so Rushcutters Bay, which currently acts as a place for locals to go to wind down after work, may not be there for long.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Rushcutters Bay has a low demographic of children, with only 0.7% between the ages of 10 – 14 and two per cent between the ages 5 – 9.

President of Potts Point & Kings Cross Heritage & Residents Society, Andrew Woodhouse said, “It seems the council are trying to cater for a need that doesn’t really exist in this particular area. They had more objections to the previous park then they had even for the proposed amalgamation of councils. I recall the council report saying it was the most significant number of objections to anything.”

Mak added, “It was voted down 10 to 1 last time. Now because of Woollahra Council surviving by the skin of its teeth the midst of a legal challenge and policy reversal on amalgamations, and by virtue of a change in the composition of Council members, this is back on the agenda. Final determinations scrapped months later based purely on a change in personnel. It’s a betrayal of the previous Councillors who carefully reviewed this proposal and voted against.”

The budget for the new proposal has increased by around $400,000, with the initial proposal being allocated $700,000 and now, an estimated cost of $1,100,000 for the redesign, detailed drawings and construction.

“That’s not even the true cost, the true cost also includes ongoing yearly maintenance, which can be as high as another $1 million. This new idea will cost about 50 per cent more and therefore will be bigger, more intense or more intrusive. It cannot be considered acceptable. The cost is so large council cannot afford it. It seeks funding from elsewhere. The Centennial Park Trust states it is building a youth facility, so why unnecessarily duplicate projects?” Woodhouse said.

Mak added, “They cannot spend money they don’t have. My suggestion is they should respect their own financial limits and not build expensive white elephants when they do not have the money or the budget to do any of this. All they are doing is increasing the rates for future ratepayers and this is a massive cost which will be paid by ratepayers in future – the vast majority of whom do not want this skatepark as evidenced from the letters submitted at the time the first proposal was voted down.

A local mother of three recently wrote a letter to the Council, saying, “I live with my three children on New Beach Road right next to the park. We are your supposed prime beneficiaries and we are completely against it. We have been against it from the start and I am very frustrated that our voice is not being heard. I know that if my children want to skate, I can take them to Bondi Beach. If they want to play ping pong there is an existing table at the local cafe next to the tennis courts that is almost never in use. If they want to shoot hoops they can do so at home, or again in the two underused basketball courts at the nearby Potts Point/Woolloomooloo playground.”

When Woollahra Council were asked to comment, a spokesperson said, “While Woollahra Council aims to provide facilities, which encourage young people to get outside, exercise and enjoy our open spaces, we are committed to undertaking community consultation that ensures everyone can have their say before a decision is made regarding the proposed Youth Recreation Facility.”

A spokesperson for Lord Mayor Clover Moore said, “It’s up to Woollahra Council to determine if a skate park is appropriate for Rushcutters Bay, in consultation with their local community. Our research shows a growing number of families choosing to live in the City of Sydney, which is why we’re prioritising investment in active recreation across the board.”

Many locals hope that the skate park proposals do not go through, “People actually have weddings and birthday parties in the park. These take place because of the natural beauty and quiet of the park. Can you imagine a wedding ceremony taking place next to a skatepark? This simply illustrates the fact that this development aggressively displaces other existing uses that rely on the quiet and tranquil setting. I cannot think of a more inappropriate setting for such a facility,” Mak said.