Pyrmont Progress

There are recent signs that NSW Maritime which controls significant sections of the Pyrmont’s western foreshore is about to implement a master plan which will revitalise the foreshore by providing links in the foreshore walk as well as space for community recreation. The foreshore walk, promised by the Carr government remains an important commitment by the state government. This would help unify the current patchwork quilt that is the Pyrmont foreshore.

Some good things have already happened. Areas under the control of City of Sydney are being improved through their 2030 Strategy which aims to turn Sydney into a liveable, sustainable, green city. A link in the foreshore walk at Glebe has been completed and another link has just been opened following completion of the world-class park on the former Water Police site. The public access and improved views to and from the harbour offered by these improvements contrast sharply with the dilapidated foreshore areas controlled by the NSW State Government.

The bad is the Sydney Fish Market situated along Bank Street, on a site controlled by the State Government’s Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority;  a ramshackle collection of buildings with a hideous and sub-standard car park. Serious concerns have been raised about the drainage and odour from the market frequently by people living and working in the district.

However, with support from the State Government, a new iconic Fish Market could become a reality. Sydney Fish Market has a concept plan for a tourist attraction rivalling Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco’s most popular tourist destination.  The plan features a new building to house the market, administration offices, retail activities and restaurants, a new car park, a foreshore walk and a new park area for patrons to relax.

The ugly is just a short stroll from the Fish Market. The foreshore along Bank Street between the old Glebe Island Bridge and the Sydney Fish Market is a rubble-strewn dumping ground for shipping containers and rubbish and is home to noisy and dirty activities that are a constant annoyance to the thousands of workers and residents in the area.

To help progress these plans, members of the local community and the passive boating community have joined forces to present a coherent plan to rejuvenate the foreshore along Bank Street with a foreshore walk, open park space, a safe boat ramp and clubhouse for passive boat users and community facilities including meeting spaces, a community workshop, a café and other facilities.

Inquiries:

Raymond Tai      Mobile 0414 377 495 email raymond.tai@live.com.au

Len Giddings      Mobile 0419 274 036 email lengiddings@hotmail.com