New amenities have been proposed along the Parramatta River, with a report to be prepared for Councillors to review.
At the most recent Parramatta City Council Meeting, Community Champions Councillor Kellie Darley put forward a Notice of Motion outlining the need for increased public amenity and accessibility along the Parramatta River, saying it is “such an important asset” within Parramatta.
“The Parramatta River corridor is a spine of our regional walking and cycling networks, stitching together over 70 km of existing regional links, with more than 30km of future connections planned,” the Council report said.
“Annually there are hundreds of thousands of visits to the Parramatta River foreshore from Parramatta Park and the head of the river to Ermington Boat Ramp and Sydney Olympic Park by cyclists, walkers, joggers, people having picnics, BBQs and family gatherings, kids playing, tourists exploring the area and people enjoying the views over the river.”
The Notice of Motion references a 2024 vision endorsed by Council to establish Parramatta River as a “continuous regional parkland” and transform and revitalise the corridor into the “Parramatta Central River Parklands”.
Currently, more than $61 million of capital works are underway to separate the shared path in key location and improve access along the river.
The Notice of Motion asks that the Parramatta City Council CEO to conduct an audit to identify gaps in public amenity along the Parramatta River.
Pieces of public amenity envisioned for the river include but are not limited to bubblers/water refill stations/dog water bowls, bins, toilets, seating, shade, wayfinding, play spaces, exercise equipment, lighting, entry/access for wheelchair access, heritage interpretations and place-based storytelling, and bike repair stations.
Councillor Judy Greenwood requested that the riparian zones be included in the motion.
The Notice of Motion also asked that the Council CEO review the naming of the shared path which is currently referred to as numerous names including Parramatta Valley Cycleway, Parramatta River Shared Path and Parramatta River Walk.
The final request within the Notice of Motion is that the Council CEO report to Councillors the findings of the audit and review while providing short-, medium- and long-term recommendations on improving the provision of public amenity along the Parramatta River among other things.
“This notice of motion aims to set out a plan for further improving the experience of people accessing the Parramatta River foreshore over the short, medium and long term as well as to support the projected future growth in visitation,” the Council report said.
Councillor Sameer Pandey supported the Notice, saying activating the foreshore is an important step but there is more to be done.
“Parramatta River is one of the greatest assets that we have in our city, yet it is probably one of the most understated rivers in the country,” Pandey said.
“There is huge potential that we have in activating the foreshore.”
