Many residents have contacted me to express their views on
the future of the reserve at Marian
Street, which the draft Redfern Waterloo Built
Environment Plan designates for an 18-storey building.
I agree with the residents’ concerns that open space is a
valued commodity in the inner city, and their sadness at the potential loss of
this reserve.
In my submission to the Draft BEP, I urged the Redfern
Waterloo Authority to ensure that the draft BEP reflects residents’ desires to
have access to appropriate open space within Redfern and Waterloo and in
particular in the Marian Street area.
Last month I took up an invitation from a resident in the
Watertower building to visit Marian Park and discuss the concerns residents
have about the loss of the park and about the proposed use of the site – that
is, the 18-story building – in the Draft BEP.
Now I have spoken before about the pressing need in South Sydney for active recreation space. I have noted that in the City of Sydney north of Cleveland Street
there are five swimming pools and leisure centres whilst south of Cleveland Street
residents have nothing.
I will remain a strong advocate for active recreation
facilities in South Sydney. But in this case I am convinced that the
Government needs to listen to local residents in their desire for local,
usable, passive public open space.
Marian
Street Park
is a small oasis in an otherwise busy, hectic, noisy and developed
precinct. With Gibbons Street and Regent
Street immediately to its east, Redfern Station to its north and ATP to its
south, Marian Street Park provides approximately trees and space for passive
recreation in this otherwise highly urbanised area.
But in the end what has convinced me the most is the
passionate pleas from local residents in the Watertower building. Their letters and emails, and the site visit,
demonstrate to me how important this park is to the local community.
That’s why I am writing to the Minister for Redfern and Waterloo to ask that he to listen to their concerns and to
use the BEP to zone Marian
Street Park
as open space. This will ensure that the
park remains a park. This would give
local residents certainty. I also ask
the Minister to develop a plan for the future maintenance of the park to ensure
the park remains a valuable asset for the local community.