New river taskforce to create new swim spots in Western Sydney

Rivers and waterways winding through Western Sydney are set for a major spruce up with the Minns government to set up a taskforce to activate more public swimming spots across the city.

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Rivers and waterways winding through Western Sydney are set for a major spruce up with the Minns government to set up a taskforce to activate more public swimming spots across the city.

After the success of Penrith Beach or Pondi on the banks of the Nepean River, the NSW government will establish a body to activate urban swimways across Western Sydney. Industry bodies say the move is an opportunity to turn parts of Sydney’s rivers into vibrant boardwalk boulevards and hospitality hubs.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Water Minister Rose Jackson said activations of new swimming leisure locations had “fallen between the cracks”.

“We’re going to need to get quite a bit more systematic and organised in terms of assessing those kinds of (swimming) places,” she said.

“Government has not taken on this task in an organised way and it has fallen between the cracks of different departments and agencies.

“It is a priority of government to have activated urban swimways in Western Sydney and we’re going to bring everyone together to make that happen.”

Water Minister Rose Jackson has said the government will set up a co-ordinated body to activate more swimming locations along Sydney’s rivers. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The notion of a task force comes after Lake Parramatta reopened to the public last month after a $1.4 million transformation. Even Bradfield near the Western Sydney Airport will get a revamped beach complete with urban promenades and recreational lawns. Detailed in the Bradfield City Centre Masterplan which was approved in September, is a brand new swimming hole surrounded by public promenades and a public pavilion for waterside dining.

Supplied renders of a man-made beach at Bradfield Parklands which has been unveiled in the Bradfield masterplan.,

Ms Jackson said suggestions to activate new swimming locations along the Parramatta River near the brand new Powerhouse Museum or at Newington Armoury at Sydney Olympic Park were “sensible” places to start.

Swimming activations along the Parramatta River could be among those considered. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Industry groups have long been calling for the revitalisation of Sydney’s rivers pushing for the government to turn parts of the riverbank into night-life hubs.

A report from Business Western Sydney released in September identified multiple sites which could be revitalised with walkways, river beaches and jetty pools.

The report called for an activation of the riverbanks of Parramatta CBD with new riverside walks, bars and cafes akin to the vibrant boardwalks of Brisbane’s Howard Smith Wharves.

The report also suggested the establishment of a swimming lagoon at Camellia as well as a swimming installation at Newington Armoury at Sydney Olympic Park.

Artist render of Camellia Lagoon which is a suggested public space along the Parramatta River. Picture: Urbis/ Business Western Sydney

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said the city had a real opportunity to capture the vibrancy of other global city rivers, from the cultural attractions at Battersea in London to the lines of cafes and restaurants along the River Seine in Paris.

“Cities with rivers are blessed but we’ve turned our back on our rivers,” he said.

“There are so many opportunities to create great access to those rivers.”

Mr Borger said proposals to build a river bar at Parramatta’s Riverside Theatre were examples of what could be achieved.

“The venue is designed to be sealed in case of floods with designs placing the kitchen upstairs – so there are multiple clever designs that can be used to get around once-in-a-while floods,” he said.

The options to what kinds of new swimming installations that can be built are endless with Sydney Water’s Urban Plunge program looking at new ways to make rivers accessible even if the water quality cannot be improved for swimming.

Supplied examples of how Sydney can transform its rivers to have more community spaces for people to enjoy. Picture: Studio Octopi for Sydney Water

Urban Plunge waterway co-ordination manager Leanne Niblock, who works with local councils to activate new swim sites, said they were looking at areas across almost all the rivers in Sydney.

“There are some locations where you can’t swim in the natural waterways but there are other solutions like a pool at the side of the river where it’s almost like you’re swimming in the river,” she said.

“There’s lots of international cities doing this to activate their rivers – there is this movement towards cleaning up the river and a real desire for people to be able to access these spaces for recreation.”

Supplied examples of how Sydney can transform its rivers to have more community spaces for people to enjoy. Credit Studio Octopi for Sydney Water

Committee for Sydney chief executive Eamon Waterford said it was imperative for governments to add more swimming locations in Western Sydney to give the those in the west the same opportunities as those who live near the city’s beaches.

“People are getting really hot in Western Sydney – they’re baking in their suburbs that are not designed for the heat but they have nowhere to go,” he said.

“The tradition for people in the eastern suburbs is they go to the beach – it is fair and right that people from the west get this opportunity too.

“The opportunity is not just to make the river swimmable but a place where you can spend all day the way they do in Bondi or Coogee, where you go for a swim then head to a restaurant or a bar afterwards.”

Blacktown resident Francis Novis, 33, his wife Carmela, 33 and their young son Francis, 4, would love to have more outdoor swimming options in Western Sydney. Pictured in Banjo Paterson Park in Gladesville. Picture: Rohan Kelly.

Western Sydney residents have been crying out for more swimming spots and outdoor hubs on their doorstep for years.

As Western Sydney grows, those that live there say they will need more water installations to keep pace with an expanding population.

Young parents Francis Novis, 33 and his wife Carmela, 33 say despite the popularity of ‘Pondi’ there are still very few natural outdoor swimming spaces near their Blacktown home.

“We’re looking for places closer to home where we can take our son,” Mr Novis said.

“It’s a long way for us to travel to the beach – Pondi is beautiful but it’s still a little far for us but there is nothing in Blacktown.”

The new father said his four-year-old son Francis loved to swim, with the family wanting more outdoor spaces they could take him.

“There’s not much we can do in the winter but having more to do around the waterways would be so good – it would be nice to have somewhere you could picnic by the river.”