Sporting Limbo: Rozelle Parklands

Community frustration grows as red tape stalls access to vital new playing fields

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More than a year after their completion, two newly built sporting fields at Rozelle Parklands remain off-limits to local clubs due to a bureaucratic standoff between Transport for NSW and Inner West Council over liability for future asbestos contamination and long-term maintenance costs.

The parklands - created as part of the WestConnex motorway offset - were initially opened in December 2023 but closed just a month later following the discovery of asbestos in mulch. Though most areas reopened in April 2024, sporting clubs are still locked out of the purpose-built fields, including an oval with a cricket pitch and a rectangular multi-sport ground.

Balmain District Football Club president Paul Avery called the hold-up “utter madness,” saying, “We’ve been looking with longing at these fields for over a year. They’re open to everyone except the people who need them most.” With over 3,100 players, the club faces an acute shortage of space, often forced to split single fields among multiple teams.

Political management of Rozelle Parklands

Inner West Council says it is willing to manage the parklands but refuses to accept long-term risk for soil contamination. Mayor Darcy Byrne accused Transport for NSW of trying to offload liability onto the community, calling the move “a rip-off.”

Local MP Kobi Shetty echoed concerns, warning the council may be “biting off more than it can chew.” Her office revealed ratepayers could face an ongoing $650,000 annual maintenance bill, despite a one-off $20 million offer from the state government that would be spread across the council area, not reserved for the parklands.

Despite repeated requests, the council has received no firm timeline for when the fields might become usable. With lighting and other infrastructure still incomplete, some clubs fear they won’t gain access until mid-2025. As participation in local sports continues to rise, especially among women and juniors, pressure is mounting to resolve the impasse—and finally open the gates.