The Inner West Record

Inner West Council has carried a notice of motion on Centenary Park, Croydon, with an amendment that all designs remain under consideration. The meeting then deferred all further business to the September ordinary meeting. The deferral leaves a long list of items, including the draft parking strategy, a code of meeting practice and mandatory fire safety reporting, for next month.

The Centenary Park item was moved with a brief amendment supplied to the minute takers. The mover said the amendment was to go at the end of point one, and that the wording was simply for the avoidance of doubt. The amendment adds the sentence that all designs remain under consideration.

The chair put the amended motion and declared it carried. It was then 11 o'clock, and the chair moved that all further business be deferred to be considered at the September ordinary meeting. The Deputy Mayor seconded that deferral, which was declared carried unanimously. The meeting was then closed.

Earlier, the council heard a deputation on the options analysis for a solidarity crossing. Warner Ward of Marrickville, secretary of Transproud Australia, said a solidarity crossing would be an educational tool and that one proposed location is Camdenville Oval, now the Inner West Sports Hub. The council also heard a resident of Enmore speak against a trial closure of the south end of London Street, raising concerns about rat running, parking, noise, air pollution and rubbish collection.

The mandatory reporting of a Fire and Rescue NSW report on 193-195 Liverpool Road Ashfield, 6-12 Dudley Street Marrickville and 4 Wood Street Tempe was also before the council. The motion was moved with the officer's recommendation and seconded by Councillor Barlow, who asked whether a staff response noted in the complaint had been investigated internally. Staff told the meeting the matter had been investigated and three inspections had found the fire escape blocked by large waste materials, with educative measures continuing. The chair put the report and declared it carried unanimously.

He said the club has called Lambert Park home since 1954 and described it as the thriving heartbeat of Leichhardt. A councillor questioned whether Tempe Tyres would face further enforcement, and staff said lawyers had been instructed to seek a strict timeline for moving out from Wood Street, with the possibility of Class 4 proceedings if the self-imposed timeline is not met. The meeting then took a vote on the item and amendment.

The post-exhibition Code of Meeting Practice was moved as printed and seconded by Councillor Atkins, who also put small amendments. The amendments included one on speaking times, with a councillor saying they did not support moving to a three-minute baseline. When put to the vote, the chair used a casting vote against the amendments. The substantive motion as it stands was then carried unanimously.

The draft parking strategy and public domain parking policy were also discussed. Margot Cashman of Dulwich Hill said the proposed loss of 180 free two-hour car spaces at the Seaview and Lofter Street car parks would be catastrophic for Dulwich Hill Village. She raised concern that parking is the lifeblood of small shops, cafes and restaurants. The next steps for those deferred items will be at the September ordinary meeting.