Sydney north shore: Biggest and best things coming in 2021
The north shore will see a list of major projects, events, and attractions get underway in 2021 including new festivals, school upgrades, public art and even a rollercoaster. SEE THE LIST.
North Shore
Don't miss out on the headlines from North Shore. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The north shore is set to see a swath of major projects transform local suburbs over the coming year.
With 2020 almost done and dusted, things are looking up in 2021 as the region of more than 330,000 residents continues its transformation as one of the most vibrant parts of Sydney.
Ranging from new amusement park rides, to long-awaited school upgrades, public artworks and new public transport projects, the North Shore Times takes a look at some of the big things coming to the region over the next 12 months.
TOURIST DRAWCARDS
It’s been a tough year for the tourism industry, but two of the north shore’s most popular attractions are set to bounce back from 2020 with a list of new attractions.
At Luna Park, construction will begin on a $30 million upgrade including a new thrill ride, six children’s rides and a Big Dipper described as the “first incline seating launch roller coaster in the world”.
Works are due begin in January and are due to open by July.
Taronga Zoo will also begin construction on a range of new attractions including a “habitat precinct” featuring animals from Australia’s outback at the wetlands of the top end.
The $16 million project will also include a new koala encounter and “koala canopy walk” meandering through a forest of gumtrees four metres above ground level.
Sydney Harbour will meanwhile welcome a new “Sydney Harbour Explorer” attraction that will connect Balmoral Beach and Chowder Bay with Manly, Watsons Bay, Circular Quay and Taronga Zoo over summer. The Explorer will also offer patrons a new two hour sightseeing cruise on Sydney Harbour.
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
After a year of cancellations and postponements, 2021 is due to see a list of new and returning events that organisers have pledged to be “bigger and better than ever”.
Among events kicking off the new year will be the Chatswood Family Festival at The Concourse in January, the Sunset Sessions Pop-Up Bar at the Coal Loader in February, while Luna New Year will make a colourful return to local suburbs.
Other events in the works for 2021 include Festival on the Green in May, the Ku-ring-gai Eco Festival in September, and the Lane Cove Festival.
For those looking to head back in time, September is set to see the return of the St Ives Medieval Fair after the event’s cancellation in 2020.
Willoughby Council has meanwhile released plans to stage a list of new cultural and creative events in Chatswood from January to June to replace Vivid 2020 including a showcase of k-pop music, a craft beer event and a music festival featuring emerging Australian music acts
Democracy stages will also return in 2021 after this year’s local government elections were put on hold due to coronavirus.
Scheduled for September 4, polls will open for all five councils in the north shore with mayoral elections also due to be held for Mosman and Willoughby Councils.
SCHOOL UPGRADES
Some of the region’s largest schools are set to look very different in the coming year as both public and private campuses roll out major upgrades.
Students at Chatswood Primary and High Schools will see big changes when they return for classes in Term 1 as major works get underway for new 150 classrooms for more than 500 new students at the campuses.
In North Sydney, Marist Boys College will also mark a milestone as it welcomes female students in 2021 for the first time in its 130-year history.
A new sports centre is due to open at St Ives High School from Term 1 while upgrades are also expected to begin on 16 new classrooms, a h
all and library at Mosman High School by the end of 2021
Upgrades are also planned for a list of other schools across the region including at Neutral Bay and North Sydney Public Schools, Riverview College, Roseville College and the second stage of the Lindfield Learning Village that will include construction of a new “selective virtual high school”.
TOWN CENTRE UPGRADES
The new year is on track to see many on the north shore’s town centre receive a new lease of life.
In Lindfield, the multimillion-dollar village green project is due to open by the end of 2021 with a new public plaza, park, pavilion, cafe and public toilets.
Five town centres in North Sydney have also been earmarked for more outdoor dining areas and pedestrian zones including Kirribilli that is planned to have Burton St converted into a pedestrian zone, new Jacaranda trees planted around Milsons Point Station and upgrades at the Sydney Harbour lookout including new seating, landscaping works, and pathways.
In McMahons Point, the town centre will be transformed with wider footpaths, expanded outdoor dining areas, and a new “pocket park” featuring a sculpture at East Crescent St.
Works will also begin in January to create widened footpaths in Gordon in a move to encourage outdoor dining and promote the suburb as the “eat street” of the upper north shore.
Plans are also underway for town centre upgrades in Northbridge, Cremorne, Fox Valley and Artarmon.
SYDNEY METRO
With a combined cost of more than $600 million, the Crows Nest and North Sydney Victoria Cross Metro Stations are on track to transform the local skyline in the coming year.
Construction works on both stations will ramp up in 2021 with works at Victoria Cross set to involve more than 600 workers on-site ahead of the station’s opening date in 2024.
Along with the Metro station, the development will also include a 42 storey skyscraper, a new community hub, retail and dining areas and 1000sq m public space in the North Sydney CBD.
Similar works will take place at the new Crows Nest Station from January that will include three separate commercial and residential buildings above the station standing nine, 18 and 22 storeys tall.
Both projects will result in significant road changes during construction periods including a new delivery lane on the Pacific Highway at Crows Nest to transport materials to and from the site from January 2021 until late 2022.
PUBLIC ART
The north shore will welcome new additions to its growing list of public artworks including a six-metre tall “Walking” man statue in the North Sydney CBD.
Two years after raising eyebrows at Sydney’s Sculpture by the Sea event, the bronze statute will find a permanent home at Berry Square outside Channel 9’s new Sydney headquarters at 1 Denison St.
Created by artist Wang Wei, the statue depicts a striding teenager with a lowered head, who seems to be both arriving and leaving. It is due to be unveiled in the town centre by the middle of the year, subject to approvals.
North Sydney Council is also due to place the 2019 Sculpture by the Sea Festival statue winner called “The Sun Also Rises” at the southern end of Carradah Park in Waverton in early 2021.
SHOP, EAT AND DRINK
Already boasting a long list of shopping and dining options, the north shore is set to welcome a few new additions from early 2021.
Among the list of new venues planned in the region include Hide-out Bar at 152 Military Rd in Neutral Bay, BarLume at 1 Denison St in North Sydney, and a new boating venue called Privacy that will seat up to 32 guests at a time on a vessel docked near the Coal Loader in Waverton.
A new pop-up cafe and gin bar called Tonic Lane will also continue to trade over the summer months at the Sub Base Platypus.
Local shopping centres are also set to see some big changes in 2021 including the planned redevelopment of Chatswood Chase that will involve expanding the complex into six storeys of new shops, dining areas, offices, and 130 carparks.
Construction is also due to begin on the new Harris Farm supermarket in Turramurra and the Big Bear Shopping Centre redevelopment in Neutral Bay
CYCLEWAYS
Ditching four wheels for two will be encouraged in a list of suburbs across the north shore as the State Government and local councils push ahead with plans to build new cycle lanes.
In March, a new 1km long “pop up” cycleway is due to open along the Pacific Highway in North Sydney as part of the State Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The dedicated bike lane will include a flexible barrier to ensure safety for cyclists and there are also plans to extend the route to Crows Nest.
Further north, a new bike lane is also in the works between Chatswood and St Leonards linking the two suburbs via Artarmon.
Although some residents have raised concerns over loss of parking spaces, supporters say it could reduce congestion by encouraging cycling as well as improving safety for the proliferation of e-bike and food delivery cyclists currently using local roads
TUNNELS
The subsurface of the north shore will begin to resemble a block of Swiss cheese in the coming year with construction of multiple tunnel projects.
Early works have already started on the proposed Western Harbour Tunnel that would link the Warringah Freeway in Cammeray to WestConnex in Rozelle.
Plans for the project show substantial works are due to begin in 2021 with the Warringah Freeway upgrade due to be one of the first components of construction.
Impacts on the region will include work sites established at Cammeray Golf Course, Ridge St North and Berrys Bay.
Plans are also underway for the Beaches Link tunnel that would link the Warringah Freeway at Cammeray and the Gore Hill Freeway in Artarmon to Balgowlah and Killarney Heights.
The proposal is currently open for public feedback.
Meet the talented young artists from ARTEXPRESS 2025
The annual art exhibition which shows some of the most outstanding and exemplary artworks across NSW by HSC visual arts students has opened. Meet the students and see their amazing works.
Australian swimmers and SailGP team’s unique exchange
Two of Australia’s leading sports teams - SailGPs Flying Roos and the Dolphins - are collaborating in a hunt for “little gems” to deliver lucrative triumphs on the water and Olympic medals in it.