The NSW government has announced that construction has begun on the 1.1-hectare transformation of Bank Street Park at Sydney’s Blackwattle Bay.
The park is the first open space to be delivered within the renewal of the wider Bays Precinct, set to deliver 8,500 homes and 25 percent open space, including 2.6 hectares of waterfront parkland and 1,400 homes on the site of the former Sydney Fish Market, and 14 hectares of public green space resulting from the transformation of Wentworth Park racecourse into sporting fields and up to 7,300 homes through the rezoning of surrounding land.
Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the site, which is connected to Bays West by the Glebe Island Bridge, has been inaccessible to the community for decades, given its industrial use.
“This park is the start of a city-shaping renewal. The Bays Precinct will deliver … an exciting entertainment and cultural hub right on Sydney Harbour,” he commented.
A press release from the NSW government claims the milestone is also “a historic first,” with Infrastructure NSW and head contractor BESIX Westpac “proactively reach[ing] 50 percent participation of women throughout the project lifecycle, far surpassing the industry average of 12 percent.”
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said the project was “setting a new benchmark for the industry in its ambition to redefine who builds our infrastructure.”
“By targeting a 50 percent women workforce, the team delivering Bank Street Park is helping to push the construction sector toward a more equitable future, proving what’s possible when inclusion is placed at the centre of project delivery,” she said.
“We want projects like this to inspire the industry to think outside the box – opening up new pathways for women to thrive in construction and see it as a long-term, rewarding career option.”
Designs for the Bank Street Park by landscape architect Oculus, with architecture firms Collins and Turner, and Greenaway Architects, and design and research practice Greenshoot Consulting, were unveiled in late 2023.
According to the NSW government, the plans under construction include a playground, multipurpose court and fitness station; open lawns with First Nations-inspired shelter structures; public amenities and provisions for outdoor food trucks and coffee carts; a new pontoon for kayak water access and storage for dragon boats; and new footpaths and cycleways that will link into the future 15-kilometre Harbour Walk from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo.
Kamper said, “We have been listening to what the community want for the future, and I can’t wait to see locals, recreational boaters and local and international visitors use this new stunning harbourside park.”
Bank Street Park is expected to open in 2027.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
