By Mike CrooksMonday 15 Aug 2022NewsReading Time: 3 minutes
They have always had a connection, but now the Opera House and Sydney’s West will have a solid link.
Though they are nearly 30km apart, the Opera House and Parramatta Park will be connected by a massive new waterfront walkway.
The NSW Government announced the impending construction of the walkway in this year’s budget. It will link the Sydney Opera House to Parramatta.
As the pathway snakes around the harbour, it will reach a distance of over 90kms.
“This pathway will take in some of our most spectacular sights and unlock the incredible lifestyle and accessibility opportunities the route offers for the benefit of locals and visitors,” NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said.
A “boost” for daily life
The unbroken foreshore pedestrian and cycle path was first proposed in 2020 by think tank The McKell Institute.
The project, dubbed the Opera House to Parramatta Pathway, “is aimed at facilitating job creation, reinvigorating daily life, and creating new attractions to reanimate the local tourism economy,” McKell Institute CEO Sam Croswell said.
“Sydney’s unique geography is among its best assets. But its harbour and Parramatta River foreshore is often under-utilised.
“The proposed Opera House to Parramatta Pathway seeks to address that, capitalising on Sydney’s natural advantages to deliver improved tourism and active transport infrastructure for Sydney’s visitors and residents.”
Source: The McKell Institute Facebook
“Fantastic addition”
The proposal is no longer just a pipe dream, with the NSW government investing $60 million in this year’s budget to the pathway.
“No matter where you live, you should have the opportunity to access, enjoy and benefit from our environment,” Minister for Environment James Griffin said.
“And this new pathway will be a fantastic addition to the great outdoors for the people of NSW.”
“No matter where you live, you should have the opportunity to access, enjoy and benefit from our environment,”– Minister for Environment James Griffin
The continuous path will be for both pedestrians and cyclists. It will wind through 18 suburbs along Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River, “to improve the lives of tens of thousands of people along the Parramatta River”.
Longest track
The project will be a massive undertaking. From the Opera House foreshore to Parramatta there is currently only 22km of accessible pedestrian infrastructure.
Once completed, the pathway will be the longest continuous trail in Sydney. Currently, the longest Sydney trail is the Bondi to Manly walking track.
Once completed, the [the Opera House foreshore to Parramatta] pathway will be the longest continuous trail in Sydney.
The McKell report estimated that up to 3145 jobs could be created by the project.
Rob Stokes, the Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport, said the walkway would be one of Sydney’s crucial active transport connections.
“Since 1811 our city’s prosperity has been propelled by road and rail connections between the settlements of Sydney and Parramatta,” Stokes said.
“This new connection will allow walking and cycling trips to proliferate, making lives easier, healthier and more enjoyable for locals, commuters and visitors for centuries to come.”