As 2020 winds down, what aspects of this extraordinary year do we want to hold onto? For me, it’s been rediscovering Sydney’s bushland, public parks, walking trails and open spaces – and the miraculous role they play to keep us fit, happy and healthy.
Cooped up for hours during lockdown, I’d often emerge from my flat as the sun set to witness a beautiful sight. The banks of the Parramatta River, just down from the Parramatta ferry wharf, were teeming with life.
Kids tore by on tiny scooters. Friends picnicked on the grass. Couples of all ages, religions and cultural backgrounds shyly held hands.
Confronted by bewildering images of death and suffering on our TV screens, there was comfort in retreating to the familiar. Fresh air, our own neighbourhood – and a reminder we are not alone.
I have five nephews and nieces under the age of 10. Whenever I visit them in Adelaide and dangle a trip to the playground, they go berserk. It was the same for adults during COVID-19. With gyms closed, bootcamps banned and team sports off limits, we craved the outdoors just like children.
So this year, I’ve fallen back in love with Parramatta Park. Each Saturday I’m part of a group that does an early morning jog, at least in theory – with a standing invitation to meet for breakfast later in the likely event I sleep in!
I’ve meandered along the river in both directions. Previously a Parramatta Parkrun regular, this year I’ve driven to George Kendall Riverside Park at night and walked or run the track more times than I can count – while listening to music, getting through phone calls and sending texts.
Whenever life got difficult, a sure-fire way to rejuvenate was to enjoy the route in bright sunshine and talk shop with a friend.
Sydney has its harbour, headlands and botanic gardens. The Blue Mountains and beaches are barely an hour’s drive. But locals know the Parramatta region also has its gems – from Third Settlement Reserve at Winston Hills, to Lane Cove National Park, to the Darling Mills Creek where I used to bush-bash as a kid.
Some good progress has been made to enhance our city’s green arteries and lungs. This includes recent foreshore upgrades at Rydalmere and the City of Parramatta’s excellent face-lift of John Wearne Reserve in Carlingford – complete with zoo sculptures and a skatepark. The NSW Government is also examining a shared pathway from Parramatta to the Opera House.
Yet as areas like Westmead, Wentworthville, Carlingford and Epping deal with growing population density, nobody could deny there is more work to do.
In particular, the Parramatta CBD has been allowed to wither into a concrete wasteland with negligible tree canopy and less than 1 per cent accessible green space.
That’s why I think it’s vital we not only preserve Willow Grove but unlock its gardens into a cherished “pocket park” for the community. And why the Western Sydney Business Chamber’s latest idea to open up the historic Lancer Barracks defence base into a new public square has strong merit.
It’ll need Canberra’s support. But living nearby, unless one escapes to the river, there’s nothing but high-rise and the sound of jackhammers – and the barracks is a barrier between people living on the east of the train station and the rest of Parramatta.
Surely, the pandemic should have taught us. Let’s look for opportunities to give people back their neighbourhood.
Alan is a journalist and communications specialist. He writes a weekly column for Parra News.