But it's not very often the Prime Minister and Deputy Opposition Leader square off over something as tangential to the fate of the nation as a council skate park in Sydney.

Malcolm Turnbull and Labor's Tanya Plibersek have landed on opposing sides of a debate between some eastern suburbs residents over skate and basketball facilities to be built in Rushcutters Bay Park.

The park, which is in Mr Turnbull's electorate of Wentworth but borders Elizabeth Bay in Ms Plibersek's seat of Sydney, is a favourite with dog walkers, picknickers and fitness boot camps.

It was in 2011 that a group of teenagers from Paddington first stood up at Woollahra Council to argue for skate facilities for eight to 14 year-olds in a local government area with no existing skate infrastructure - the closest being the concrete bowl at Bondi Beach.

The council initially embraced the idea, with a proposal to give over what amounts to two per cent of the park's 5.3 hectares in a little-used area beside a canal that empties into Sydney Harbour.

A survey found 62 per cent of people were in favour.

But resistance formed, in particular due to concern among older residents that skate facilities would "disturb the tranquillity of the park as well as nearby residents", a council committee report warned last month.

"Park users and residents raised concern that the skate park would attract users from outside the area, particularly from Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo. It was felt these users would bring drugs, crime, graffiti and other antisocial behaviour to the area," council officer Caitlin Moffat noted.

In a letter, Mr Turnbull added his voice to the concerns of residents of New Beach Road - an intervention that appears to have been critical in later moves by the Liberal-dominated council to refine skating facilities out of the plan but build a new basketball court in the existing "active area".

"The park is a great place for group outdoor sports, like Rugby and cricket, and recreational activities such as family picnics and yoga. It is incredibly pet friendly, and is used by children and adults alike as an extension to their own living rooms," Mr Turnbull wrote.

"Adding hard surfaces and concrete structures is not sympathetic to how the park is currently used by its visitors. These facilities also raise noise concerns for local residents that neighbour the park. Furthermore, there is an exceptional skate park in Bondi Beach that is available to everyone in the eastern suburbs."

In a similarly worded letter, state member for Vaucluse Gabrielle Upton said she was concerned that skating would "create extra noise for the local residents that live close to the park".

In her letter to councillors, Ms Plibersek said overcrowded inner-city schools were proof of the growing need for more public spaces for the young.

"When I lived in Elizabeth Bay, and later in Woolloomooloo, I was a frequent visitor to the park. My children still use the tennis facilities often," she wrote.

"I observed over many years that Rushcutters Bay Park already has great facilities for passive recreation, dog walkers, soccer players, cricket players, rugby union players, joggers, and young children. But it lacks recreational facilities for older children and young people."

Some parents believe the proposal, which is not for a full skate park or bowl, has been the victim of "misinformation".

"The design includes only small skate elements (suitable for beginners and young children) with a half-sized basketball court and a ping pong table," Sarah Scott told Mr Turnbull in a letter.

"The area adjacent to the canal was chosen as the most suitable site within the park because it is currently under-utilised and is more than 150 metres away from residences (with several trees and other structures in between) so any noise impact to neighbours would be negligible."

Woollahra Council's community and environment committee recommended councillors not proceed with the youth facility but instead add a single basketball court elsewhere. But councillors changed that recommendation and will vote on the full proposal.

The council was due to vote on the matter on Monday evening.

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