New open space coordinator role 

Fiona Morrison has been appointed as the NSW Government’s first Open Space and Parks Design Coordinator, a newly created role to oversee a package of green projects.

Ms Morrison brings many years of experience and award-winning expertise in landscape and open space including roles with the development industry, University of Western Sydney and numerous local councils including Campbelltown, Ryde, Botany Bay, Woollahra and Newcastle.

Minister Roberts said the new role would complement a free tree giveaway he announced earlier this year for people building complying development homes in greenfield, or new development, areas and oversee a planned tree canopy policy.

The appointment follows a surge in community voices raising concerns about planning approaches to open space, yet analysis shows that in Sydney the total amount of open space has increased from 5,784ha in 2003 to 589,494ha in 2014.

Sydney is listed third in the world of percentage area that is public green space, behind Moscow and Singapore according to World Cities Culture Forum 2017. Melbourne is currently ranked in 25th place.