Sydney’s Inner West Council claims large parts of sporting and community facilities promised for the multi-million-dollar Rozelle Parklands development have been secretly cut from the final plans.
The Council says an all-weather sporting field, public toilets, public car parking and two multi-purpose sports courts have been deleted from the final design without consultation.
Inner West Mayor, Darcy Byrne described the move as “a cruel sleight of hand” by the State Government.
“We’ve caught the NSW Government out red handed secretly cutting millions of dollars in sporting and community facilities promised at the Rozelle Parklands,” the Mayor said.
“In the announcement of final plans last week they hid the fact that the all-weather sporting field, the public car parking, two multipurpose sports courts and the toilets for the children’s playground have all been ditched.
“Our community has been relying on this project after a couple of years of disruption to their lives from WestConnex construction and now the Government is short-changing us again.
“Not only is the Government under-funding the project, they are stripping it of vital sporting infrastructure. Providing a substandard park was never part of the plan.”
He said the Council had “been warning for years” that the Government was under-funding the park promised in compensation for WestConnex construction impacts.
“At first there was no funding allocated to build the park, just a requirement for the road-builder to install a grass covering over the interchange,” the Mayor said.
“We eventually forced $15 million out of the Government but it has been clear all along that what they promised would cost closer to $30 million.
“The fact that they are making up the difference by secretly cutting many of the sporting and public facilities is a disgrace.”
