Community celebrates Cooks River upgrade
Thursday, 7 November 2019
Inner West families this week celebrated the launch of the new inclusive playground at Steel Park, part of the $5 million Cooks River Parklands upgrade being completed by Inner West Council.
Students from Marrickville West Public School and the May Murray Day Care Centre joined the launch event, headed by Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne and Federal Government representative Scott Farlow MLC.
Mayor Byrne said that the upgrade was the crowning piece of the Stage 2 of the upgrade.
“This upgrade has allowed Council to deliver on two fronts,” he said.
“Firstly, an active community is a healthy community, and the upgraded playgrounds and paths along the Cooks River help our kids and our families to get out and get active. The inclusive playground is really important, because it means that more inner west kids can have the benefit of play.
“Secondly, we’re committed to doing everything we can to clean up the Cooks River and return it to its former glory. The wetlands and bioretention systems that are part of the upgrade will make sure water entering the river here in the inner west is clean.”
This second $2.53 million stage of upgrades included:
- Council’s first inclusive playground, designed in consultation with the Touched by Olivia Foundation
- The Steel Park north bio-retention system and the Warren Park wetland system to help clean water entering the river
- New pedestrian paths and lighting and revegetation along Cooks River foreshore.
- Revegetation, stormwater management work and new furniture at the Richardson’s Lookout.
- A furniture upgrade at Kendrick Park.
Council had already delivered the upgrade to the hugely popular Steele Park Waterplay park, Stage 1 of the upgrades.
Stage 3 will include the new youth facility at HJ Mahoney reserve, with a multi-purpose court, skate-able concrete seating a street art wall, shelter and long jump facilities, along with further upgrades to the reserve of new picnic facilities, tree plantings, revegetation and a tidal creek and wetland stormwater treatment system. Construction is set to start in 2020.
Stage two of the Cooks River Parklands upgrade was funded by Council to the tune of $740,000, along with a $489,000 Community Development Grant from the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities, a $380,000 Improving your Local Parks and Environment Grant from the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and $921,000 from the Stronger Communities Fund.
High resolution photos available on request.
For further information please contact Kate Walsh on 0421 224 366.