Duck River Nature Trail: Parramatta Council approvals stage one designs for bike, pedestrian path

The hum of a Sydney motorway and the sight of skyscrapers are not far away, but a 4.5km green corridor is set to provide walkers and cyclists an outdoor sanctuary in the city’s west.

Artist's impressions of a path for pedestrians and cyclists along the Duck River Nature Trail.

Among the industrial and commercial pulse of the Parramatta area sits a swath of green teeming with flora and fauna, and now lovers of the great outdoors have something a $27m pedestrian path and cycleway to get excited about.

Parramatta Council has approved designs for the first of the three-stage, 4.5km Duck River Nature Trail, beginning at Silverwater Park.

The path snakes its way through canopy and wildlife – including scarlet robins and grey-headed flying foxes – and was designed to improve access to the green corridor from Parramatta River to the path that follows the M4.

Parramatta Lord Mayor Martin Zaiter said the project would promote active living along Duck River while retaining its natural beauty.

“The Duck River Nature Trail will provide pedestrians and cyclists the chance to experience the mangroves and saltmarsh of this outdoor sanctuary located in the heart of our community,” he said.

The 4.5km path along Duck River is near the M4.

“We have a vision to become an unrivalled river city renowned for its focus on sustainability and this will create a landmark connection in our area.’’

Once completed, the nature trail will connect the Parramatta River foreshore paths, which 2000 people use daily, many to reach other areas of Sydney such as Ryde.

Community feedback about open space, ecology, safety, shade and water bubblers has shaped stage one designs.

There will be improvements to access at Silverwater Park along the river, with separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists, a new dedicated bike path under Silverwater Bridge, bicycle parking, additional seating, lighting, a water fountain and tree planting.

The second stage will focus on improving safety and amenity for pedestrians and cyclists on the streets of Silverwater, where the foreshore is inaccessible.

Stage three includes plans for a new bridge over Duck Creek and foreshore paths on both sides.

The path will be completed in three stages until 2028.

The project will be delivered over the next four years and include almost 1.5km of concrete paths and boardwalks next to Duck River and a new walking and cycling bridge on the western riverbank.

The eastern riverbank will include 1km of pedestrian and cyclist paths on Silverwater streets with priority crossings, lighting upgrades and new street trees.

There will also be more than 1.7km of boardwalk and concrete shared paths along the river corridor and in Silverwater Park.

A white-bellied sea eagle.

A green and golden bell frog along the Duck River. Picture: Peter Ridgeway

The council and the state government funded the project, which will be open in three stages between 2026 and 2028.

In June, the council endorsed the Parramatta Bike Plan 2024, which will deliver almost 20km of paths from now until 2027 with a focus on more lighting, bins, bike parking, shade and bathroom facilities, and better signage.

A month later, the council backed plans for a major pedestrian and cyclist spine to connect Toongabbie and Westmead to the Parramatta Aquatic Centre.

Similar projects in the pipeline include a raised crossing at Brodie St in Rydalmere, the next stage of the Alfred St project connecting the M4 to the Parramatta River, construction funding for the first stage of the Finlaysons Creek Nature Trail in Shannons Paddock at Westmead, as well as a design grant for paths connecting Doyle Ground with a school in North Parramatta.

The council has set a target to increase bike transportation to at least 5 per cent of all work trips, and 10 per cent of those ending in Parramatta CBD by 2043.

Originally published as Duck River Nature Trail: Parramatta Council approvals stage one designs for bike, pedestrian path