A photo taken by world-famous photographer Ken Duncan during the visit to Barangaroo Credit:Ken Duncan He confirmed he was taking the picture for the quarry without charge. The rangers were nice and understood how silly it seemed that he wasn't allowed to take images, he says. "They informed me that I had been seen taking photos by big brother on a video surveillance camera and they had radioed the rangers to come and stop me. "The rangers pleaded our case to their management as one of them had previously been a photographer but management would not budge. The rangers informed me that if I didn't stop the management said they would call the police. So I said, 'go ahead and make my day as people need to know how silly this is. It will make a great headline for Barangaroo, an Australian landscape photographer arrested for taking photos.'

"I said, 'What law am I breaking?' And they could not answer me." A spokeswoman for Barangaroo said the reserve's manager suggested Duncan contact Gosford Quarries and ask them to call him to discuss obtaining permission but no such call was received. Duncan's run-in comes after Fairfax Media this month reported how kite flyers, soccer players, fishers and musicians would be off limits in the reserve. Anyone wanting to hire exclusive use of Barangaroo's foreshore lawns, coves and walkways for private functions, however, was welcome – if they were prepared to pay. The blast went on: "'So it is OK for you to video me without my permission but I am not allowed to take photos.

"They went on to say, 'but you have a tripod so you must be a commercial photographer so you definitely need to pay and have a permit'. I said, 'That is discrimination against me being a professional photographer'." Duncan told Fairfax 210,000 had viewed the post and it had almost 4000 likes. "People are over this regulation, this is ridiculous," he said. "They should encourage photographers to photograph it so you can get tourists in there and more people coming to beautiful Sydney. This is bureaucracy gone insane, trying to make rules and regulations. "The security guard said, 'I don't want to be doing this but there's video surveillance here. They have seen you doing it and have said you are not allowed to do it. They said they would send for the police.' I said, 'tell them to send the police because I am willing to get arrested for this'.

"We have got another beautiful area in Sydney and somebody wants to charge people to come and take photos here. The government needs to intervene in this. I am fighting for the new generation of photographers and artists. You can't tell a professional photographer by the fact that they have a tripod. I could shoot a movie with an iPhone. "We need to get Premier Michael Baird or our Prime Minister to say Australia is going to become the the user-friendly photography country because this has got out of hand around the world. People are over this overzealous bureaucracy. We have got to stop it." A post in response from Colleen Kempess said: "Hi Ken. I'm a police officer in that area. You're right. There is no law against you taking photos. I've no idea why you'd be required to have a permit. Possibly the council trying to impose a 'photo tax'. If I'm ever called to such a job I'd probably ask for your autograph and wish you a good day! Your photos are amazing and any council should be proud to have you taking photos of their city.' The spokeswoman for Barangaroo said under the Barangaroo Delivery Authority Regulation, commercial photography was only permitted with prior permission. Permission could be obtained by filling in a request form on the website Barangaroo.sydney and would not be unreasonably withheld, the spokeswoman said. The fee for a commercial photo shoot involving fewer than 10 people and using no special equipment other than a camera and tripod was $330 for a full day, she said. Requiring a permit for commercial photography was in line with all other public parks in Sydney.

"In this case, Mr Duncan and his assistant had set up on site and were asked by two Visitor Services security staff if they had permission for the shoot. The photographer said no. He was also asked for whom he was working. Our staff were told Mr Duncan was working for Gosford Quarries. It was made clear to our staff that he was a commercial photographer. "Our staff then phoned the reserve manager who suggested that Mr Duncan contact Gosford Quarries and ask them to call him to discuss obtaining permission. No such call was received, so the security staff assumed Mr Duncan did not wish to obtain a permit. He was then asked to stop working until he had obtained the permit. Mr Duncan and his assistant left the park some time after. "It is incorrect to suggest that in such a situation the police would be called to Barangaroo Reserve," the spokeswoman said.