West Circular Quay Revitalisation
Community consultation on plans to revitalise West Circular Quay
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority is proposing to rejuvenate First Fleet Park as part of a wider project to revitalise West Circular Quay, an important public area linking The Rocks with Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House.
First Fleet Park is an area of open public space on Sydney Cove with a rich heritage from its long history as Sydney’s original town centre. It provides a pedestrian thoroughfare, a recreation and leisure area and an entertainment space for casual events and busking.
The project will revitalise First Fleet Park and the surrounding West Circular Quay public domain by:
- Protecting and enhancing the Park as a green oasis in the city with a larger lawn area and direct access from George Street;
- Opening up views from the city to the Harbour;
- Improving pedestrian links from Circular Quay to The Rocks; and
- Expanding the promenades surrounding the Park, along with the lawn area in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Community consultation
The project application to the Department of Planning and Infrastructure was publicly exhibited from 24 November to 24 December 2010. Community consultation was carried out during September 2011. This included an information display which ran from Monday 5 September to Sunday 11 September. The Community Consultation Boards show the information which was part of the display. The First Fleet Park Masterplan shows the site and the key features referred to in the display boards.
Find out what people are saying about the project plans.
The deadline for all feedback was Friday 30 September. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback and made submissions.
Background
In 2010, the Authority lodged a project application with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure for the works, including:
• reintroducing the slope of the park - between the 1950s and 1980s, the park originally sloped up towards George Street
• creating a larger lawn area (16 per cent increase on the current park)
• creating multiple places to sit and enjoy the harbour and the views, with formal seating, steps and grassed areas
• a water-sensitive design, incorporating a water storage tank that collects, filters and cleans water from the street to use on the park and gardens
• improved energy-efficient lighting on major pathways and thoroughfares
• expanded, clear pathways along Alfred Street and next to the Museum of Contemporary Art, improving accessibility for wheelchairs and prams
• landscaping improvements including planting semi-mature native fig trees and Australian native cabbage tree palms
• information about the heritage of the site including a dedicated area at the top of the park along George Street describing the history and heritage of the site such as convict history and indigenous interpretation
• a small café/coffee-cart facility.
Comments on the application closed on Friday 24 December 2010.
Archaeological works
Archaeological works are proposed on the site prior to any work starting on the plans to revitalise West Circular Quay.
Archaeological investigations are required to determine the extent of the remains of Sydney’s first town centre.
The aim of the works is to identify any important archaeological items and to ensure that any future construction works will not impact on them.
