From the Marian Street Park Preservation Group (1996-2000)

The Marian Street Park Preservation Group
A Park in Peril — Marian Street Park Redfern

DEMOGRAPHY

Redfern is a traditional, inner-city, working class, industrial/residential suburb.
Cradle of Australian industry at the time of Federation, the Redfern area is now experiencing rapid structural change. With its position adjacent to the CBD, its excellent transportation links and its undeveloped and underdeveloped land, growth and evolution are inevitable.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the area south of Redfern Railway Station.
The creative use of large tracts of surplus railway property transmogrified into the Australian Technology Park is a prime example of this trend. The area surrounding Marian Street Park is zoned as mixed use.

A small integrated residential/business and light industrial estate has developed in the area bound by Gibbons, Rosehill and Cornwallis Streets. During the past decade or so, in excess of 300 apartments have been built in Marian, Gibbons and Wyndham Streets and approximately 200 more are in the process of being built or awaiting planning approval.

Casual observation reveals that on weekdays between 70 and 100 area employees and CityRail commuters park their cars in the vicinity of Marian Street Park. Given the pressure to repopulate the inner city, proximity to transport links, the airport, CBD, the Australian Technology Park, Universities, etc., further mixed use residential development can be expected.

TRAFFIC

The Road Transport Authority’s conversion of Regent and Gibbons Streets into a segment of the southern arterial one-way system has substantially increased heavy road traffic to and from the airport, the southern industrial suburbs and Port Botany. This is referred to on page 7 of South Sydney City Council’s Lawson Square Streetscape Improvement Project:- “…a large degree of through traffic providing noise, pollution and danger for pedestrians…” and ibid page 11 “…Noise from traffic is a major negative aspect of the environment of the site…” Positioned directly central to all this change and activity is MARIAN STREET PARK.

DESCRIPTION

Marian Street Park is a parcel of wedge-shaped land approximately 157 metres in length and 40 metres at its widest (northern) end and having an area of 3,140 m2 (0.3 hectares or 0.8 acres).

LOCATION

The park is situated directly south of Redfern Railway Station, bounded by Gibbons Street to the east and Rosehill Street to the west. Marian Street Park provides the major pedestrian and cycle access between Gibbons Street and the Australian Technology Park.

OWNERSHIP

All the land that makes up Marian Street Park is owned by the State Rail Authority of NSW (or the Commissioner for Railways), with the exception of the area south of Margaret Street, which is owned by the Commissioner for Main Roads.

NEED FOR PRESERVATION

Redfern Railway Station, Eveleigh Precinct, the Southern Arterial Road, industrial estate, apartment blocks and roadside commuter parking are all circumjacent to Marian Street Park.

Driven by the perceived short term requirements of the Department of Railways and the Department of Main Roads, creation of the park was very likely a pragmatic management solution by the Department of Transport to rid itself of a public eyesore, by creating a low maintenance area warehoused against possible future needs at ratepayers expense. Whatever the rationale for the existence and past history of Marian Street Park, the major concern should now be focused on its preservation.

Since the early 1970s when controversy arose over the ultimately thwarted attempt to destroy Kellys Bush (a bushland pocket in the inner north shore suburb of Hunters Hill), public awareness has matured in relation to the invaluable social importance of urban green space.

Marian Street Park exemplifies the classic profile of such green space providing:
- a breathing green lung of mature trees within an urban environment É a buffer between the noise and pollution of traffic and people
- an opportunity for a multiplicity of casual recreational activities
- the visual pleasure of natural surroundings and wildlife spiritual renewal

The value of Marian Street Park depends on maintaining its integrity.

BRIEF HISTORY

The land that has become Marian Street Park started to be acquired in 1940 by the then department of main roads in connection with a road-widening scheme, which was subsequently abandoned in the 1980s.

The park was created in the late 1970s when the railway site was eventually cleared of decaying and derelict buildings and then extensively landscaped. While the Wran Labour Government’s Department of Transport continued a Railways maintenance and service presence north of Marian Street (accessed via the park), Sydney City Council accepted the major responsibility for grass mowing and general maintenance of the Railway property.

When the South Sydney City Council was formed on 3 January 1989, the ratepayers of South Sydney inherited Marian Street Park. By default, perhaps unknowingly, and certainly without recompense, they also inherited the responsibility for grass mowing, general maintenance and further landscaping of the Department of Transport’s Railway/ RTA property.

In 1989, under the Greiner Liberal Government, a “For Sale” sign appeared in Marian Street Park. Following representations by residents and ratepayers, the then local member Sandra Nori was successful in achieving a moratorium on any development or sell-offs of Marian Street Park. The Greiner Government’s Department of Transport had the park south of Marian Street rezoned from Light Industrial to Reservation Open Space and gazetted as such in South Sydney City Council’s Local Environmental Plan 107 on 4 October 1991. Under the Fahey Liberal Government the portion of the park owned by the RTA (Computer Folio Reference 1/776019) was acquired for Public Reserve under control of (South Sydney City) Council and gazetted as such on 1 October 1993.

What the ratepayers could not know was that an easement for Railway Transit was registered on this RTA land before 1 October 1993. It was not gazetted along with the Public Reserve status.

The easement appears on a different registered plan.

Although the ratepayers of South Sydney had become stakeholders in the tip of Marian Street Park, not only were they unaware of an easement, but they were also unaware that the major portion of the park owned by the Railway had NOT been acquired for Public Reserve under control of Council, and they continued to pay for the maintenance of the Railway property.

By maintaining the park for over 20 years, the ratepayers of South Sydney have earned their right to be recognised as stakeholders in the whole of Marian Street Park.

Early in 1995, although funding for the upgrade of Redfern Station, in City West’s Eveleigh Precinct, had not been approved, the previous Director General of the Department of Transport commissioned a study, the terms of reference for which presupposed a need for a Bus/Rail Interchange integrated with Redfern Station.
Also in 1995, the Director General instructed the South Sydney City Council to rezone Marian Street Park from Reservation Open Space to Special Use Railway.

Whilst Redfern Station is in Eveleigh Precinct, Marian Street Park is not.

Local residents and ratepayers were not included in the study, to the extent that they were utterly unaware of the study or the proposed rezoning.

In January 1996 the spurious Redfern Bus/Rail Interchange Study recommended that the majority of the green space (known as Marian Street Park) be designated as an 8 - bus circuit interchange. Meanwhile, the ratepayers of South Sydney continued to pay for the maintenance of the Railway property.

On 12 August 1996, a week before submissions of objections closed for the South Sydney City Council’s 1996 Draft LEP, the RTA advised some South Sydney residents that they had funding for the development of the interchange and that Civil and Civic had won the tender. The land was currently zoned Reservation Open Space in SSCC LEP 107 and residents generally believed that Marian Street Park belonged to the South Sydney City Council.

At no stage had residents been notified about a development application, nor a rezoning of the park and were shocked to learn too late that their park had been rezoned to “Special Use Railway” in the SSCC Draft LEP.

The Marian Street Park Preservation Group was formed immediately.

In October 1996 residents and ratepayers made representations to the Member for Marrickville and Deputy Premier Andrew Refshauge to retain Marian Street Park as Reservation Open Space.

During the first week of November 1996 an acting Director General was appointed to the Carr Labour Government’s Department of Transport. During the last week of November 1996 the Mayor of South Sydney City Council, Councillor Vic Smith, wrote to the Minister for Transport, the Hon Brian Langton MP, saying in part: - … “It would be appreciated if you would give consideration to the land (sic Marian Street Park) being transferred to Council ownership so that it can continue to be used in perpetuity for the recreation of residents in the Redfern area…”

In June 1997 ratepayers were encouraged when Mr Langton advised the Member for Marrickville that the Redfern bus/rail interchange would hot proceed as proposed and a review of alternative options was being undertaken.

Nevertheless, Marian Street Park was rezoned to “Special Use Railway” in SSCC LEP 1998.

The Marian Street Park Preservation Group wrote to the Minister for Transport, the Hon Carl Scully, in February 1999 requesting that he transfer ownership of the land to public reserve in the care and control of Council in perpetuity. SSCC and Clover Moore, Member for Bligh, made further representations to the Minister in 1999.

The Minister’s ambiguous position regarding Marian Street Park is exemplified in his answer to a question from Clover Moore MP in the NSW Legislative Assembly given on 8/6/2000:

“At this stage, the status of the Redfern Station upgrade and the Redfern bus/rail interchange remains unchanged from my previous correspondence. The Department of Transport and State Rail developed concept plans for the site by the end of 1999 and I can now advise that it is not proposed to use any of the current Marian Street Park. In addition, I can assure you that the local community will be consulted prior to any development application being lodged for a new interchange. On zoning, while a new interchange is planned near this space, it would not be appropriate for the land to be rezoned or transferred.”

Information and plans regarding the proposed upgrade for Redfern Station, though promised by the Minister for the end of 1999, have not been forthcoming.

Details of the Redfern Station upgrade and the Redfern bus/rail interchange have never been included in the Minister’s correspondence. The Member for Bligh has been requesting the concept plans from the Minister since November 1999 and has been unable to get them.

The Minister for Transport’s deliberate obfuscation and ambiguous response would suggest that Marian Street Park is indeed in imminent peril.

PRESENT CONDITION

Today, in the year 2000, the now enlightened ratepayers of South Sydney are still maintaining, in good faith, what still remains Railway property. Marian Street Park is generally well maintained by South Sydney City Council. Pedestrians and cyclists are encouraged to use the park to access the Australian Technology Park.

REZONING OF MARIAN STREET PARK

The rezoning of Marian Street Park from Reservation Open Space to Special Use Railway should never have been allowed to proceed.

Enlightened local governments favour the maintenance of green space, e.g. witness South Sydney City Council’s support for the recently successful campaign to create Green Ban Park in Erskineville. With the expertise and resources available the Department of Transport should be able to create a practical solution that does not alienate public open green space or indeed the citizens it purports to serve.

It is imperative for the sakes of our children and grandchildren that Marian Street Park is rezoned as Reservation Open Space, that the easement is removed and that it is gazetted and registered as Public Reserve in the care and control of Council in perpetuity.

YOUR SUPPORT in the campaign to retain Marian Street Park IS MOST VALUABLE.

» Read more about it on Clover Moore’s website

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