Wimbo Park, Surry Hills: $10m upgrade for Sydney park, lord mayor calls for light-rail stop
Council breaks ground on a $10m upgrade for a Surry Hills park while Lord Mayor Clover Moore calls for a light-rail stop at the new site. See what’s planned.
Central Sydney
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A Sydney council has commenced work on a $10m upgrade for an inner city park, as the lord mayor amplified calls for a light-rail stop to be built at the new site.
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore was on hand on Tuesday to help break first ground at Wimbo Park, an open and green, but forgotten, strip of land in Surry Hills that runs alongside a section of the Kingsford light-rail line.
She was accompanied by children from Bourke Street Public School, who also contributed to the design of the park.
Ms Moore said green spaces were vital.
“In the densely populated inner city, parks are our backyards, so these spaces could not be more important,” she said.
“We are putting in more trees that will make the park an oasis for residents and visitors who want to come here with their children to play, grab a bite to eat from the nearby cafes or those simply enjoying a bit of nature.”
New renders of the park show what it will look like when completed in 2023, including more shade, a play area with in-ground trampolines and soft-fall mounds, more seating and paths, as well as a resurrected Wimbo Park Mural, which had to be removed in 2017 to make way for the light-rail.
The patch tripled in size, from 1500 square metres to 4600, when the land was given back to council as part of negotiations for the light-rail development agreement with Transport for NSW.
“It was originally a small rest area, but when we negotiated with Transport for NSW we ensured the balance of any land not required would be dedicated back to us for use as an expanded community park,” Lord Mayor Moore said.
Jillian Wolfe, principal of Bourke Street Public School, said the upgraded park would provide more space and safety.
“Wimbo Park is really important for Bourke Street (school), because we’re quite a small site so we use the park every day so students can play at lunch,” Ms Wolfe said.
“The new screening between the space and light-rail is also really beneficial for us, it’ll be that bit safer for the kids.”
The lord mayor is also ramping up pressure on Transport for NSW to install a light-rail station near the park, saying it would remedy a gap in the line.
“When council originally pitched the light rail, it was envisaged with shorter carriages and more stops – so that everyone along its route had convenient access to jump on and off,” she said.
“We have an opportunity to remedy an obvious gap with an additional stop for residents, especially those with a disability, and the teachers and students of Bourke Street Public School.
“We have ensured the designs can accommodate a stop, with a planting buffer and discreet, natural protective fencing along the park edge.”
Lord Mayor Moore said while council was proud of a number of parks it had redeveloped, as a nearby resident to Wimbo, she was particularly excited about this one.
“I’m very excited about this one, I live in the neighbourhood and walk past it everyday,” she said.
“I would badger our (council’s) CEO: ‘when are we going to start on Wimbo Park’, so I’m very pleased we’ve got this off the ground.”
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