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Memorial for crash children rejected

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The parents of four children killed by a driver won't be allowed a permanent memoiral.
Camera IconThe parents of four children killed by a driver won't be allowed a permanent memoiral. Credit: AAP

The parents of four Sydney children killed by an out-of-control driver are devastated their plans for a permanent memorial at the site have been rejected.

Oatlands Golf Club in Sydney's west has rejected plans for a memorial garden for Abdallah children Sienna, 8, Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13, and their 11-year-old cousin Veronique Sakr, 11.

The children died in February last year when a drunk driver ploughed into them as they walked on the footpath alongside the golf course.

"We are devastated by the decision of the Oatlands Golf Club Board to end discussions for a modest commemorative garden on the edge of the golf course where our children were killed," Leila and Danny Abdallah said in a statement on Wednesday.

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"We respectfully ask the board to reconsider its decision so that our children can be honoured and the community can have a place to remember the Oatlands tragedy.

"We love our children dearly and we will always grieve the loss of our beautiful kids.

"Our proposed commemorative garden simply honours our children, Antony, Angelina, Sienna and Veronique and our survivors Liana, Charbel and Mabelle."

The club's board rejected designs drawn up by Parramatta Council, without first consulting its members, on the basis they were too elaborate and would unduly remind neighbours of the tragedy, The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

The latest compromise design consisted of a small bench and four sunken sandstone boulders.

"All concepts submitted by Parramatta Council on behalf of the families have been well outside the scale of what had been communicated as appropriate," Oatlands Golf Club general manager Sam Howe said in an email to members.

"In light of there being no support from the families for a memorial that the board has deemed appropriate to take to the membership, the board has decided to close negotiations."

The decision comes a week after the Abdallah family home was broken into and thieves stole personal possessions, including their dead son Anthony's phone.

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