Give new commission chance to be harbourfront's champion

I would like to comment on three recent pieces regarding the new Harbourfront Commission and our pursuit of a world-class waterfront.

Your editorial ('Waterfront authority must listen to the people', July 5) has the priorities misplaced. Before seeking public feedback, the commission ought to be given a chance to develop what we've lacked all along - a coherent vision and plan for the entire harbourfront.

The public wants a waterfront that is accessible, open, green and vibrant.

The commission must reconcile what people purportedly want with what they might actually use. When surveyed, urban dwellers often say they want a quiet place, only to then behave quite differently, frequenting spaces filled with people.

Commission chairman Nicholas Brooke says it will develop a master plan. This is crucial. Our harbourfront has a range of sites. The commission must tap the potential of each to deliver a varied waterfront whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Sydney's waterfront is special, in part, because of its variety. Open and green? One can wander through the botanical garden. Vibrant? You can join the crowds at the Opera House or dine at Darling Harbour.

Given multiple sites, our harbourfront development need not be an either-or proposition - parks or buildings, public or private.