Sydney Harbour foreshore walk complete as Barangaroo portion opens

A boardwalk in front of Crown’s casino tower at Barangaroo has opened to the public — unblocking the final “missing link” in a continuous walk around Sydney’s harbour foreshore.

THE final link connecting Wolloomooloo and the Anzac Bridge has been put in place with the boardwalk in front of Barangarooopening up a stunning 11 kilometre harbour foreshore walk.

The NSW government on Monday opened the 300-metre-long final piece of what is bound to become a Sydney Harbour highlight.

More than a 100 trees have been planted across the precinct, which includes the timber boardwalk and sandstone steps leading down to the waterfront.

Today marks the opening of the 300-metre-long final piece of the 11 kilometre Barangaroo foreshore walk from Woolloomooloo to the Anzac Bridge.

“I am excited to open this stunning new foreshore walk in Barangaroo, which not only connects the natural surroundings of Barangaroo Reserve with the Business district of Barangaroo South, but also completes the scenic walk along Sydney Harbour from Woolloomooloo to the Anzac Bridge,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes at the opening of the final 300 metre section of the Barangaroo foreshore walk in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“This new public space demonstrates our commitment to ensure more than half of Barangaroo is public open space and opens up this once neglected and inaccessible area for the community to enjoy.”

Planning and Public Spaces minister Rob Stokes said the final unveiling of the walkway fitted with the government’s ambition to open a continuous ribbon of public spaces along the harbour foreshore.

“In October last year we opened Waterman’s Cove, and today we make available another 300 metres of public space which runs alongside our world-famous harbour,” he said.

The 11 kilometre Barangaroo foreshore walk goes from Woolloomooloo to the Anzac Bridge.

“The pandemic has showed us how vital public spaces are and with more people coming back into the CBD, we need more spaces like this one at Barangaroo.”

The opening of the walkway comes after an 18-month inquiry headed by former NSW Supreme Court chief judge Inquiry commissioner Patricia Bergin heard evidence of money laundering at Crown’s casinos in Melbourne and Perth and links to criminal syndicates through junket operators who jetted in VIP “whales” from Asia and other overseas locations.

The report, tabled in the NSW parliament, slammed Crown’s “corporate arrogance” and said the company’s “core problems” were its “poor corporate governance” and “deficient risk-management structures”.

Today marks the opening of the 300-metre-long final piece of the 11 kilometre Barangaroo foreshore walk.

The final Bergin report released in February warned the company to clean up its act in order to be suitable to hold a gaming licence.

In response to the questions on the issue, Ms Berejiklian said it was a “matter for the company” to deal with the board members who have resigned since the damning report, adding “it’s not a matter I particularly care about”.

“The NSW government conducted the commission of inquiry and we thank Commissioner Bergin who appropriately laid down the rules for any license pre-qualification which is still going through,” she said.