Friday, 29 June 2007

Media Release

Labor Resumes Fight With Residents Over Pioneer Park Open Space Issue

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Randwick Councillors face another bruising debate about open space because Labor Councillors have lodged a rescission motion to overturn last Tuesday’s vote against increasing the sporting fields at Pioneer Park.

Councillors had voted to support Greens Councillor Bradley Hughes’ amendment to just simply re-mediate the former land fill site with out further fields.

Local Labor MP and Councillor Michael Daley did not attend the Council meeting despite his support for more fields.

Residents have reacted angrily to the posting of a pro-Labor endorsement featuring Daley on a football association’s web site.

Many interpreted the endorsement as implying that Daley was not consulting adequately with his own constituents who lived near Pioneer Park.

Greens Councillor Murray Matson said after the meeting.

“No body denies that Pioneer Park needs to be remediated and that is why my Greens colleague Cr Bradley Hughes moved to do so.

But contrary to Cr Daley’s web site position, the question of putting more sporting fields on it is not so simple.

Many residents have pointed out that Council has not yet completed its Recreation Needs Study, which is intended to provide a basis for determining the recreation needs in our area.

In the absence of that study I think that it is inappropriate for local MP and fellow Councillor Michael Daley to allow it to be known that he wants to ‘unlock’ open space for sporting fields.”

Greens Councillor Bradley Hughes also preferred waiting for the Recreation Needs Study’s completion. He stated,

“We need to take considered approach base on the results of the Recreation Needs Study and follow a process that engages all stake holders like the process undertaken for Heffron Park. We need to fully engage all stake holders to find solutions for these open space issues as they come up.”