DARLINGTON: City of Sydney spokesperson Joel Johnson has thanked community members for feedback regarding the barbecue and basketball hoop at Charles Kernan Reserve. In response to the feedback received the City will be retaining the barbecue in its current location.
“We received 72 submissions and a petition of 260 signatures in support of retaining the barbecue. Eighty-six per cent of the submissions (excluding the petition) were in favour of retaining the barbecue,” Mr Johnson said.
Council did receive additional feedback regarding noise and other issues in the park. “It is important to respect neighbours of the park and to keep noise, particularly at night, to a reasonable minimum. The City Rangers and Police should be called if anti-social behaviour is occurring so they can deal with it as soon as possible.”
Another issue that was raised was the replacement of the basketball hoop. The hoop was being used in the very early morning and will not be replaced. Basketball facilities have been provided at larger parks in the area such as Victoria Park and Redfern Park where there is less noise impact on residents.
Barbecue cleaning was also raised as an issue and Council has reviewed its cleaning frequency to address this issue.
Some locals still feel that residents closest to Charles Kernan Reserve deserve to have more of a say regarding noise and mess. “It’s such a small park, it’s not the best site for a barbecue. How would you feel if you lived right beside a park where people gathered for barbecues day after day?” a disgruntled local said.
