Kristina Keneally Backs Watertower Residents on Marian Street Park

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.