Talks between police, council and RSL sub-branches will continue, as it was confirmed that this year’s Anzac Day marches in the Mountains will go ahead.
The parties, along with RMS, RFS and SES, met at Springwood police station on Monday to try to thrash out some of the outstanding issues, notably the additional costs of security measures imposed by local police.
This included the need to hire water-filled barriers to close roads, adding significantly to the dollar bottom line.
The cancellation of marches at Blackheath, Katoomba, Springwood and Glenbrook, revealed exclusively in last week’s Gazette, generated a huge backlash.
Sydney and national media, radio talkback and social media were all inundated with opinion and criticism, much of it misdirected.
The facts, as the Gazette reported, were that the sub-branches decided to cancel the events because of the cost.
When this was brought to the attention of council and the state government, both stepped in to ensure the marches went ahead. They have agreed to share 50:50 the additional costs this year.
Whether the state government continues to offer the funding in future is unclear.
David White, secretary of Katoomba RSL sub-branch, said he was “pleased with the conversation and the outcome” of Monday’s meeting.
“Our shared commitment to preserving the tradition of Anzac Day marches is clear.”
The mayor, Mark Greenhill, said: “We are working together on practical and reasonable solutions to mitigate risk and address the concerns regarding the security of Anzac Day marches.”
He said the state government funding contribution was “most welcome”.
The water-filled barriers, which police insist must now also be used at the various festivals in the Mountains, can add thousands of dollars to traffic management plans, depending on the length of road closures.
The Gazette has been unable to find another local area command which has similar measures imposed.
When the police media unit was asked that question, a spokesman responded: “In relation to specific security arrangements, we do not comment on these for operational reasons.”
