Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk opens along river on April 1

An $18 million boardwalk stretching 10km is one of the first projects set to transform the banks of Sydney’s ‘river city’.

The $18 million Escarpment Boardwalk along the banks of the evolving Parramatta River will open on Thursday, marking the start of several major projects to transform the gateway to the booming city.

The 10km boardwalk will connect pedestrians and cyclists from Parramatta to Sydney Olympic Park, starting at the opposite side of the wharf and snaking through Melrose Park.

Parramatta Council and the State Government has co-funded the project which is one of the final links in the Parramatta Valley Cycleway and will draw some of the 1.5 million walkers and cyclists who use the foreshore in the CBD each year.

Workers add the finishing touches to the boardwalk in March. Picture: Monique Harmer

The path is a drawcard for those who prefer exercising outside. Picture: Monique Harmer

The Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects-designed connection adds to 20km of off-road paths straddling the river.

The council has also provided two new sets of stairs to provide direct access from the boardwalk to Stewart and Macarthur streets for students of Macarthur Girls’ High School and the public.

Parramatta state Liberal MP Geoff Lee expects the path to double the number of patrons.

“If you watch it on the weekends it’s so widely used,’’ he said.

“That missing link will not only increase pedestrains but bike users as well.

“I think COVID lockdown certainly taught people to get out and about in the daily hours as even more important.’’

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger welcomed the boardwalk as a way to encourage more locals and visitors to walk, run and cycle along the waterfront.

“The new Parramatta River boardwalk is the missing piece in connecting the historic Parramatta Park with the waterfront all the way to Sydney Olympic Park,’’ he said.

“The boardwalk, together with the renewal of the ferry wharf plaza and the jewel in the crown that will be the Powerhouse Parramatta, will bring the entire river front alive with activity and boost the Parramatta economy.’’

The $18 million boardwalk as seen from the Gasworks Bridge.

Along with keeping the riverfront busy, it will also drive people to enjoy the great outdoors.

“The pandemic has shown that public, open space is at a premium for us all now and will be important in the post-COVID economy in attracting greater investment and growing communities,’’ Mr Borger said.

Kellie Darley with her sons Dylan, 6, and Ethan, 8. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“The boardwalk connection is an important part of bringing people to the river and the surrounding green space.’’

ParraParents co-founder and Rydalmere mum Kellie Darley is looking forward to using the boardwalk with her sons Ethan, 8, and Dylan, 6.

“It’s wonderful that everyone from little kids in prams to cyclists and people wanting a nice walk can now enjoy our river so much more easily without the need for crossing back and forth.

The boardwalk a day before it opened. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“My hope is that the more people enjoy time by the Parramatta River, the more they will care about it, and we all need to do our bit to help make more of the river swimmable again.’’

The escarpment is one of several features that will transform the Parramatta River over coming years.

ALFRED STREET BRIDGE

The Alfred Street Bridge is due to open next year.

Australia’s first diagonal arch bridge will stretch 190m and 4.5m wide when it opens in early 2022.

Aussie company Bonacci Infrastructure has designed the bridge, which will connect Alfred St, near the Parramatta Light Rail’s Tramway Ave stop, with Baludarri Drive and Western Sydney University’s Rydalmere campus north of the river.

The bridge, which has a striking 30m tall, 80m-wide arch will also link cyclists and pedestrians to four regional cycling paths.

After the council secured state government funding for the project in August, Parramatta Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer said the demand for a bridge was strong, with the number of people using the riverside paths and cycleways more than doubling in the five years to 2020 — not including the COVID-19 crisis that saw figures spike.

CHARLES STREET SQUARE

The amphitheatre at Charles Street Square will be a gateway to Parramatta.

Plans to overhaul Parramatta Wharf and turn it into a tourist magnet were revealed in October 2019 when the council unveiled plans for a boardwalk, garden terrace and amphitheatre to greet ferry passengers to the city.

Along with the boardwalk, it is part of the Parramatta Quay project. The square will extend from the intersection of Charles and Phillip streets to the river next to the Parramatta ferry wharf, where a $7.4 million upgrade was completed in October 2019.

Cr Dwyer said the plans were key to making a good first impression on visitors and, after “100 years turning its back on the river’’ it was time to capitalise on its potential.

“The river is part of the transport system and it’s also the entry to the city for our tourists,’’ he said.

“We want to make sure we look like Sydney’s second CBD not the end of the line of the ferry. “We’re a community that’s very unique. We’re the second city. We’re a river city.’’

Construction is due to be completed in late 2021.

POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

The Parramatta Powerhouse Museum will be a world-class cultural facility.

Parramatta’s most contentious project, the Powerhouse Museum, will stand on the banks of the Parramatta River and will be a “world-class’’ cultural facility.

Critics have called for the state government to allocate another site for the museum, which would not compromise the Italianate villa Willow Grove or pose a flood risk, as per warned by experts Molino Stewart, who said severe floods could put lives at risk.

The recent floods that hammered NSW highlighted such weather warnings about the museum’s site, where the CFMEU and Maritime Union of Australia are upholding green bans to prevent the demolition of 140-year-old Willow Grove.

Last week, North Parramatta Residents’ Action Group announced it would launch legal action against Infrastructure NSW in the Land and Environment Court for failing to explore alternative sites for the museum.

However, the museum still enjoys strong support. Mr Borger describes it as the jewel in the crown of the river and Arts Minister Don Harwin dismissed negative feedback to say the cultural drawcard would enjoy pleasant river vistas.

Parramatta Powerhouse Community Alliance chairman Christopher Brown dismissed the flooding concerns, labelling it fake news.

“This is yet another outrageous and misguided attempt to keep western Sydney from having its first world-class museum,’’ he said.

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