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After spending years as a construction site for one of Sydney’s biggest transport projects, 2.5 hectares on the edge of Warringah Freeway will be transformed into parkland – but residents will have to wait at least another two years before they can access the space.
The NSW government has unveiled draft designs for Cammeray Parklands on the lower north shore, with plans to build a synthetic-turf sporting area and courts suitable for basketball or pickleball, as well as open lawns, gardens, shared paths and an outdoor fitness station.
Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said the parkland would be a “lush oasis” next to one of Australia’s busiest roads, the Warringah Freeway, and open at the same time as the $7.6 billion Western Harbour Tunnel project.
But North Sydney Council’s independent mayor Zoe Baker said the two road projects had created “scarring” impacts on residents and motorists who have endured years-long disruptions.
Once construction finishes in late 2028, the three-lane tunnels in the 6.5-kilometre Western Harbour Tunnel motorway will link the Warringah Freeway on the north shore to the WestConnex toll road at Rozelle in the south, providing motorists an alternative to the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel in the CBD.
Aitchison said the new parkland would act as a “connecting piece of landscape” linking existing green space, Cammeray golf course and the nearby Anzac Park.
“What this is designed to do is to really give back to the community a green space where they can enjoy their time,” she said. The government was “getting on with delivering the Western Harbour Tunnel but we are also making sure the communities hosting this major construction work see a lasting benefit”, Aitchison added.
Baker welcomed the plans and said every bit of green space that facilitated passive and active recreation was “vital” in North Sydney, but stressed the new parkland did not represent a real increase in open space because it was previously green space and a golf course before it became a construction site.
“Overall it’s a net loss but it is better than what we were fearing,” she said.
“The Warringah Freeway upgrade meant the loss of 3000 mature trees … When those trees went, there was a loss of biodiversity, and there was a very emotional – rightly so – response from our community. I hope this project will be part of the repair.”
The government is replanting 6000 trees to offset the 3000 lost to road upgrades but workers have discovered there is not enough room to plant them, due to a shortage of land.
The Cammeray Parklands are also right next to the golf course that the Minister for Lands Steve Kamper signalled his intent, in March, to hand to Golf NSW, sparking backlash from the council who wanted the land to remain in the club’s hands.
Western Harbour Tunnel project operations director Tariq Macan-Markar said Cammeray Park would have a similar feel to a park above the Rozelle Interchange.
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Cindy Yin is an urban affairs reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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