North Sydney walks back park fees ahead of 2027 rollout

North Sydney Council’s plan to charge commercial users of their public parks has had its proposed fees significantly wound back, as council gears up for a 2027 rollout. 

Mayor Zoë Baker told the Lorikeet she remains confident the new suite of park rules will not interfere with everyday, casual users.

What happened: The public park policy was first proposed in 2025 with the aim of addressing commercial use of North Sydney’s public parks. 

• Council voted to endorse its final fee structure at a Monday meeting, with the policy set to roll out in January 2027.

• The policy’s main targets are professional dog-walkers, fitness classes, weddings and private schools, all of whom enjoy free use of the many parks in the North Sydney LGA. 

Under the new rules, those conducting commercial activity on public land may be charged a fee by council, with the funds going toward the maintenance and upgrade of council parks.

Wound back: Now, the proposed fees have been significantly scaled back, allowing “low impact ceremonies” (fewer than 15 people, no gear to set up or catering) to use parks for free, with other users seeing large reductions in fees.

• Private schools using public parks will be charged an annual permit of $4000, with a regular fee of $50 per hour for each class of 40, excluding teachers. 

Public perspective: Public consultation on the policy’s fee structure — totalling 83 submissions — saw a slim majority of support for the fee system. However, the feedback also pointed to residents wanting casual, informal use to remain free and accessible. 

Park life: The more divisive point of the policy is a fee imposed on groups of everyday park-goers larger than 21. A group of 30 people at Blues Point Reserve, for example, would rack up a fee of $200 to reserve a space for three hours.

• Fees charged depend on which parks are used, and how large groups are. Category 1 parks — asking the highest fee — are largely prime foreshore land. Category 3 parks — including Tunks, Forsyth and St Leonards Park — charge lower fees, and in some cases allow free use. 

When asked whether park rangers would be given discretion to enforce the policy by the spirit of law — granting leniency to non-commercial users — Baker told the Lorikeet that discretion is always given to council officers.