community information process
Project Team responses to issues raised during the Community Information Process.
Why locate the memorial in Moore Park?
Memorials of State-significance are always located in places of honour, usually in or near the Sydney CBD e.g. the ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park, the Cenotaph in Martin Place, the police memorial in the Domain and the memorial to those killed in the workplace at Darling Harbour.
Locating our most important memorials in sites of prominence underlines their value to the whole NSW community, as opposed to local memorials which have relevance only to a specific area or sub-section of the community.
The Korean War was one of the major engagements in Australian military history and thus clearly merits a State-significant memorial.
Moore Park has been chosen because it is a public space of high significance and visibility not only for the local community but for New South Wales and indeed Australia as a whole.
The Centennial and Moore Parklands play both a national and state role in hosting commemorations, memorials and special events, a function acknowledged by the fact that the Parklands are listed on the State Heritage Register.
The Parklands also have long and proud history of military associations. For example, the memorial site is appropriately located in close proximity to both Victoria Barracks and the gateway to Anzac Parade, which was renamed in 1917 to commemorate the 1st Australian Imperial Force which marched along this route on its way to embark for overseas service.
It should also be noted that this memorial is not a ‘multicultural’ or ethnic’ monument. Rather the project originated with Australian war veterans and the RSL, who have long campaigned for adequate recognition of the Korean War.
It is true the Korean community and the Government of the Republic of Korea have become involved in the process, and the memorial will also honour the sacrifices of our brave Korean allies as well.
But this is principally a monument in the classical Australian tradition of war memorials, and should not be regarded as something to be relegated to a particular community or suburb. Prominent park settings enable memorials to be visited by diverse sections of the community and provide fitting surrounds for reflection and contemplation as well as the space required for public commemorative activity.
Why this particular design?
A number of different comments were received regarding the design, and such comments are reflective of the range of opinion that arises whenever a piece of public art or design is proposed.
While aesthetic judgements will inevitably vary, what can be said in favour of this project is that the winning design emerged from a strictly-controlled design process that was supervised by the NSW Government Architect’s Office.
That design process was governed by a detailed design brief – itself approved by the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust – which stressed the need for all design proposals to respect the heritage and landscape of the Parklands and to integrate carefully into the parkland setting.
A hand-picked field of experienced public artists and landscape architects were asked to submit designs, and the winning design was selected by the project jury chaired by the NSW Government Architect.
The design selected was unanimously considered by the jury to best address the competition objectives and evaluation criteria.
Will the park still be accessible during construction?
The project team is working with the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust to ensure pedestrian safety and security throughout the construction phase of this project.
At this stage, we envisage that the memorial site and an apron of land around it will be fenced-off for a period of approximately 12 weeks some time between mid January and mid April 2009.
Pedestrian access from the South Dowling Street/Fitzroy Street corner into Moore Park will still be available, as park users will be able to skirt around the construction site into Moore Park proper.
More information about the specific size and location of the construction zone will be made available as the details become known.
Naturally the Trust will do all it can to minimise the impact of construction on park users.
What about vehicular access to Moore Park?
Car parking is not proposed as part of the memorial design. Occasional vehicular access to this part of Moore Park will be for landscaping and maintenance purposes only.
Bollards at the nearest vehicular entry point ensure that other vehicular access can only be obtained via the assistance of a park ranger with prior permission from the Trust.
Special access arrangements will be made for the opening ceremony and for ceremonies on a handful of key dates throughout the year such as ANZAC Day.
As planning for this event develops the project team will provide further details to the community.
Who will look after the memorial in the future? What about vandalism?
Given the specific location issues of the memorial site e.g. being located on a pedestrian route from the Sydney Cricket Ground/Sydney Football Stadium, the project has been explicitly designed with robustness and durability in mind.
The design competition brief outlined durability and maintenance as one of the key evaluation criteria for the winning memorial concept.
The materials proposed for the memorial have all been selected to optimally resist vandalism and be as easy as possible to clean and maintain.
For example, the poles which form the Rose of Sharon flower stems will be made of forged steel and reviewed by structural engineers to ensure sufficient thickness to resist bending, even under very high pressure.
Other threats to the durability and dignity of the memorial e.g. skateboarders, have also been addressed in the design process.
In terms of routine maintenance such as cleaning litter, mowing adjacent lawns and tending garden beds, the current capacity of Parklands staff is considered suitable for ongoing appropriate care.
Community involvement in the planning process
This is a collaborative project instigated by a number of different community and Government stakeholders. A limited design competition was conducted in order to assist in facilitating the range of different requirements held by various stakeholders.
Once a concept design was selected this was agreed to by the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, and feedback sought from the Centennial Parklands Community Consultative Committee (CPCCC).
Following their feedback and design changes made in response to public safety and maintenance issues, the current scheme was presented to the local community for comment and feedback. Once the feedback has been assimilated, a Development Application will be submitted to the Council of the City of Sydney.
Conclusion
The range of community sentiments regarding this project is acknowledged, and we are thankful for all the feedback received, including from those who have frankly expressed opposing or sceptical views.
We hope the responses outlined above respond to all the main concerns raised during the community information process.
While not every member of the local community will agree with this project, the Korean War Memorial will nevertheless be a highly significant monument, not only for war veterans and their families but for the State of New South Wales as a whole.
As future custodians of the Memorial, the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust is satisfied that the design process has been respectful of this unique parkland setting and that the winning design will be an appropriate addition to the range of memorials and other built forms that are dotted throughout the Parklands.
Project Team
Korean War Memorial