The initiative by the Inner West Council to officially call Central Leichhardt Little Italy, has seen a mixed reaction with locals and Italo-Australians across Sydney.
Many are left bewildered to what this whole exercise was meant to achieve. Apart from many photo opportunities, especially with our Prime Minister Albanese at the official inauguration and at the Italian Festa, there has not been much discussion in following, except that it was to show respect for the past Italian migration and contribution to the area. This has set a buzz on social media with many recalling how the Italian Forum was the pride of Little Italy, but now it has been referred to as a symbol of urban decay in a ghost town.
Incredibly the Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne has expressed that the Italian Forum is a private shopping centre that has been mismanaged, even though the council library is in the Forum and part of its commercial strata, he could consider moving it if things get worst. His recent TV interview on A Current Affair had him explain that the Forum was thriving for the first couple of years after it opened at the turn of the century but points his finger of blame back on commercial property owners, insisting on his vacancy tax idea. Many however are quick to point out that his solution is simply a cover up to the problems caused by councils’ own mismanagement of the entire commercial shopping strip including the Italian Forum.
The attention placed on empty shops in Central Leichhardt, is but a smoke screen as there is well over 100 operating businesses along the length of Norton Street, excluding the Italian Forum and neighbouring Norton Plaza. Technically the ghost town reference is over sensationalising the situation which is referring to a dozen or so empty storefronts, with a handful vacant for many years.
The reality is that council in general expects the locals to frequent the commercial strip by foot, bike, or public transport, as parking space in the area has been at crisis point for over 20 years. That impact of suburban parking meters and backstreet parking restrictions as well as aggressive fines on overstayers, has dramatically changed the commercial appeal of the once loved shopping strip.
With recent positive initiative to turn meters off after 7pm, this only has helped the restaurant businesses, but even they find it is hard to get all their customers to come back. With household financial pressures on the rise, the obvious strategy from council should be to look at the new Westconnex link and encourage more visitors from the outer suburbs, taking advantage of shorter travel times via the highway tunnels. They can see it as encouraging local Australian resident tourism who wants to engage with the concept of Little Italy – unique to Leichhardt a title to be proud of, and not just a simple wink and nod to the past. What many observers fail to see is that Leichhardt has incredibly a decent number of existing Italian businesses that will benefit from increased visitors into the area.
Some of these Italian businesses have stood the test of time, even with their retro feel as if time has stopped for them. The area really needs to be fortified with more Italian inspired businesses lending to the Little Italy persona officially given to the suburb. An economic strategy that encompasses the place name is what is urgently needed today.
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