The Labor-majority Inner West Council has rammed through a controversial plan to begin the creeping commercialisation of Camperdown Memorial Rest Park in Sydney’s inner west.
Council voted 9-5 on November 12 to allow a restaurant, sandwiched between residential properties that backs on to the park, to use a section of the park to sell non-alcoholic drinks and snacks. It also expanded its opening hours.
Earlier, on July 31, council officers had granted Comedor its development application (DA) for outdoor seating, signage and an extension of hours of trade on Sundays to 9pm up to July 31, 2029, effective immediately.
It was granted “E1 zoning”, a NSW zoning category to “encourage a variety of small-scale retail, business and community uses”.
A former Greens councillor went public and the community immediately started asking questions about how the approval had come about.
Residents tried to get answers at a Damun/Stanmore local ward meeting in August on who had issued the DA and why there had been no community consultation.
Even the next door neighbours to the restaurant had no idea until they received a letter authorising trucks to deliver construction materials for the restaurant deck.
The community outcry forced council to slow everything down as they wanted to appear to be listening to residents before the September local government election. The IWC even issued an apology for not holding a community engagement process.
Comedor was told the building of its $2000 deck on public land had to be put on hold.
Meanwhile, residents spoke to councillors and a community petition opposing part of the park being privatised was circulated.
However, Labor councillor Chloe Smith’s motion to the November 12 meeting, framed as a “compromise”, supported Comedor being allowed a deck in the park.
Real estate agent Charles Bailey, representing the restaurant owner, told that meeting that the community had been adequately consulted, and pointed to the DA which had been letter-boxed to nearby residents in June.
After the community uproar, council did hold a “community consultation” meeting on October 3, to which only a handful of people turned up.
Council took this to mean that not many people were unhappy with the commercial lease, even though most of those living on the park’s edge said they had not received any notification about the meeting.
An opt-in online survey on park use had however found 315 thumbs-down pins and 123 hearts in support. Council also received 78 emails opposing the development, compared to 37 in support.
As several speakers told council on November 12, even with its poor consultation, a large majority of residents who did respond said Comedor should not be allowed to construct a deck in the park, as it heralded the beginning of a bigger deck.
“Over 70% of feedback was opposed to this proposal but council staff not only write in favour of it but inexplicably determine to extend Comedor’s hours,” Newtown resident Jason Gray said.
Council’s amended motion, which passed on Labor councillors' and independent Victor Macri’s votes, allows Comedor to serve food and drinks from its rear window from 7am–6pm seven days a week, with a later closing time of 8pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Smith, who works in NSW Premier Chris Minns’ office as a senior community engagement adviser, told the November 12 meeting that the engagement process had been “extensive and considered”. She said it was in the community’s interests for the deck to go ahead because it would add “additional vibrancy and offerings to our community”.
Smith also said there were many precedents as other parks have cafes.
However, locals argued that each of these “precedents” had a context. For example, cafés built into a swimming pool complex were different, as was the Sydney Park’s café, which was built when there were no coffee shops nearby — and it went to tender. There are at least six cafes in short walking distance to Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.
Many locals believe a deal had already been done flowing from an out-of-court Land and Environment Court settlement after the IWC initially refused a restaurant proposal in a residential area.
Given this history, it is concerning that the DA to privatise part of a well-used park was granted by council officers with no Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel.
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Residents are disappointed with council’s decision, particularly as many had submitted new ideas to council’s plan of management review, including a coffee cart social enterprise and tables and chairs as in Camperdown Park, several blocks away.
[Pip Hinman, a local resident, spoke at the Inner West Council meeting against Comedor being given permission to build a private platform in Camperdown Memorial Rest Park.]