Parklands for people? The post-political governance of the Western Sydney Parklands

This paper uses the lens of post-politics to examine the commercialisation and privatisation of the Western Sydney Parklands (WSP), a 5,280-hectare public parkland located in one of Sydney’s most socioeconomically disadvantaged regions. The paper draws upon analysis of hearing transcripts, public submissions, key policy documents, and interviews with key stakeholders of the WSP. We found that the post-politicisation of the WSP emerged from a gradual encroachment of neoliberal discourse in park management documents, which reframed the park in economic rather than conservation terms. We identified that consensus-seeking techniques were utilised in the management of the parklands. Techniques included the formalisation of consultation, the delaying of consultation, and the concentration of approval power in a small cohort of decision-makers. The final part of the paper explores the adverse effects of these post-political techniques for the communities of the WSP, finding that post-political arrangements influenced a disengagement from grassroots advocacy and a sense of ‘political depression’ amongst advocates. We point towards future post-political research that engages deeply with community experience and perspectives to highlight possible parkland futures.