Moved by Councillor Miller, seconded by the
Chair (the Lord Mayor) -
It is resolved that:
(A)
Council
note:
(i)
in
December 2025, the NSW Government announced that the Greyhound Breeders, Owners
and Trainers Association (GBOTA) land use license at Wentworth Park would end
in September 2027, and the City would be appointed as the Crown Lands Manager
following completion of demolition and make good works by the NSW Government
(ii)
in July
2026, the NSW Government announced that GBOTA had requested early termination of
its land use licence and the final meeting took place on Friday, 16 October
2026. The City has been advised that GBOTA will remove racing-related
infrastructure, including track fencing and lighting, start line stalls and
kennel infrastructure by the end of 2026
(iii)
the
demolition of the Wentworth Park function centre and grandstand will begin at
the beginning of October 2027 and is expected to take 18 months to 2 years to
complete
(iv)
in the meantime,
the Wentworth Park Sports Complex will continue to be managed by the Wentworth
Park Sports Complex Land Manager (WPCSM) until the end of September 2027, to
allow for the management of existing licenses and lease agreements to the end
of their terms. Venue Hire and Oval Hire within the Sports Complex are
available for community use and booking, and include:
(a)
~
16,700m2 grass oval
(b)
sports
field - 112 x 70m (rugby league/union and soccer)
(c)
3,000-seat
undercover grandstand
(d)
300m2 lower
mezzanine with bistro
(e)
2000m2
ground floor with 2 bars and cafe
(f)
1,800m2
level one with bar and food service, outdoor terrace and room divider
(g)
1,800m2
level 2 with 4 rooms (available after 30 November 2026)
(h)
400m2
kennels building with open rooms and toilets (available after 30 November 2026)
(i)
PA
systems, screens and furniture
(v)
that
until the demolition has taken place, the Wentworth Park Sporting Complex
remains the responsibility of the Minister for Lands and Property, under the
Crown Lands Act 2016
(vi)
there
is a need amongst the City’s creative, live music and arts community for access
to large, well-located spaces for creative use including performances,
screenings, festivals and exhibitions
(vii)
the
Wentworth Park facilities already have adequate infrastructure and offer an
opportunity to provide ‘meanwhile’ creative use for the period between November
2026 and demolition
(viii)
this
kind of ‘meanwhile creative’ use is consistent with the objectives and goals of
the City of Sydney’s Cultural Strategy 2025-2035, the NSW Government’s Vibrancy
reforms, and Contemporary Music Act 2026
(ix)
the
City of Sydney will continue to consult with the community as it develops the
detailed Concept Plan for Wentworth Park and will upgrade the park as soon as
possible
(B)
the
Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Minister for Lands and Property,
Minister for the Arts, Music and the Night-time Economy, and the NSW Premier
requesting that:
(i)
the Wentworth
Park Sporting Complex become a priority location for creative ‘meanwhile use’
from November 2026 until demolition in October 2027
(ii)
the NSW
Government, in collaboration with the City of Sydney, investigate opportunities
to activate and program the complex with a range of performances, screenings,
festivals and other public events
(iii)
the NSW
Government considers funding opportunities to activate the space and support
creative industry workers including the Creative NSW Collaboration Fund
(C)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to work with the NSW Government to
encourage and enable the space to be activated before the structures are
demolished, and report back to Council.
Carried
unanimously.
X113761