The City of Sydney has agreed to offer the Pyrmont Community Centre a larger relocation venue at the Glebe Tramsheds, after Clover Moore’s Independent team previously rejected a motion to grant the community $500,000 for an alternative leased space.
The centre’s community group, Friends of Pyrmont, will host larger activities like dinner nights and choir rehearsals at the Glebe Tramsheds while $5.7 million renovations take place over two years.
The original proposed relocation spaces of The Ultimo Community Centre, and the Maybanke Community Centre will still go ahead, with the Tramsheds now also accommodating activities.
A spokesperson for the Lord Mayor Clover Moore clarified that her team rejected the motion as hiring a temporary facility would cost the council $500,000. But the spokesperson maintained that the Lord Mayor “has always sought to ensure the community’s needs are met while the Pyrmont Community Centre is upgraded”.
Cr Moore and her Independent team supported using the Ultimo and Maybanke Community Centres, noting they would “consider additional venue hire if necessary”, but the five other councillors, alongside the Pyrmont group, rejected both spaces due to capacity and access concerns.
Councillors celebrate resolution to offer relocation space
Sydney Greens Councillor Sylvie Ellsmore said the resolution was “very good” compared to last month’s verdict.
“What the City was proposing: to just move activities to Ultimo and Maybanke was not going to work,” Cr Ellsmore said. Cr Ellsmore noted that the Light Rail at the Tramsheds solidified the decision to move some activities to that venue, as it better accommodated “those with mobility concerns”.
Liberal Councillor Shauna Jarrett, who tabled the original motion, commended the group’s effort in initiating the arrangement.
“Friends of Pyrmont launched a petition and went out to find an alternative space. After this, they negotiated with the council – it’s a really good outcome,” she said.
The Lord Mayor’s spokesperson said that the Friends of Pyrmont initially requested to move their entire operations to the Harold Park Community Hall at the Glebe Tramsheds.
They stated that the request for the exclusive use of the community hall at the Tramsheds came at the expense of “existing hirers who would need to be relocated or excluded from hiring the space”.
The sole use of the Harold Park Community Hall for Friends of Pyrmont, the spokesperson noted, was not “without significant inconvenience” – citing that existing fitness classes and arts and cultural activities will be affected.
Instead, the City of Sydney agreed to a shared scheme in the carried motion, which will address concerns about a lack of alternative space, while also considering existing groups who use the Harold Community Park Hall.
However, member of the Friends of Pyrmont group Mary Mortimer, said the group suggested the Tramshed site as it was being “underused”.
“It’s advertised by the council as a venue for hire, but we aim to turn it into a proper community centre” Mortimer said.
“Our longer-term goal is to have that venue staffed so that it can be a full community centre for the benefit of those local residents.”
Cr Jarrett said that “activating” the site will benefit the recently updated heritage precinct by encouraging community groups to use businesses like coffee shops and restaurants.
The City of Sydney spokesperson also made clear that the determined arrangement was separate from the fee waiver proposed at the recent council meeting.
“The City committed to making the Harold Park Community Hall available… prior to Council’s commitment to waive fees for community centre hire in June.”
