Bayside NEWS Staggering $1.2m playground upgrade debacle

Residents are desperately urging the Woollahra Council to halt planned construction of a $1.2m playground upgrade on the Sydney Harbour until a much-needed Master Plan is completed.

A recent review of Ly ne Park in Rose Bay conducted by Ross Planning in the council’s Draft Recreational Strategy recommended a Master Plan was needed for the area. But despite the final draf t strategy still to go to council for adoption, construction for the playground is slated to begin in May, much to the concern of locals and community groups.

In the creation of the d raft plan, a staggering 75% of ‘Have your say’ survey results opposed the project and its proposed location within Lyne Park.

This is because the park’s ea st side public ramp, a unique feature of Sydney Harbour, is family-friendly with a non-vehicle ramp for non-motorised crafts and is considered one of the best in the Southern Hemisphere, offering safe, free watersports options for the public and local schools.

Critics argue that the expansion of the playground's footprint, coupled with a new fenced-in activity trail and more zip lines, will only exacerbate the overcrowding issue in the bustling watersports hub and further remove the communities access to the east side public ramp, despite its unique features and benefits to the community.

The community-led group, Save Lyne Park Foreshore, publicly expressed their concerns about the proposed fenced development on the foreshore stating that it would restrict usage to playground users only, thereby limiting access for the growing population of water sport enthusiasts who require open space to set up safely near the foreshore and access the boat ramp.

The planned expansion of the playground's footprint is part of a concerning pattern of foreshore developments over the past 20 years, consistently sidelining stakeholder and community input. This trend ultimately diminishes community engagement in watersports, due to limited access, insufficient signage, and a glaring absence of promotional efforts surrounding the eastern boat ramp at Lyne Park.

The 38,000m² park ha s am ple space to accommodate a playground catering to a wide range of residents, including disabled and special needs individuals, which the