Central Barangaroo’s foreshortened Harbour Park falls short of public expectations

Central Barangaroo’s recently unveiled Harbour Park has received praise for its design and acknowledgement of the Gadigal people’s deep connections to the harbour.

However, the park has failed to meet the public’s expectations in terms of size and the lack of promised open recreational space. Concerns have also been raised about the fulfilment of commitments made during the construction of Barangaroo South and the encroachment of private interests on valuable public land.

According to the accepted concept plan for Barangaroo, 50 per cent of the total Barangaroo space was to be dedicated to accessible public open space, featuring a combination of grass and treed parklands stretching along the entire waterfront.

The vision was to create a “continuous foreshore parkland” that would define the western foreshores of the city and provide open recreational space for residents and visitors. Unfortunately, the Harbour Park falls significantly short of meeting these requirements.

The movement of the Crown building onto the parkland prematurely terminated the parklands, resulting in the loss of its southern section and the disconnection of Hickson Park from the water.

In 2016, the government allowed this intrusion of the privately owned Crown development into cherished public foreshore recreation land, on the condition that the remainder of Hickson Park be reconnected to the parklands, now known as Harbour Park.

The public feels shortchanged as its invaluable and treasured assets have been sold off to developers and private interests.

The towers of Barangaroo South have exceeded the allowable gross floor area designated for the entire Barangaroo precinct.

Of particular concern is the potential impact of further building development at Central Barangaroo, which threatens to enclose the park and restrict sightlines to public spaces, notably Observatory Park. What we truly require at Central Barangaroo is open public space and recreational areas that cater to the local community and visitors.

People first

It is time to prioritise the needs of the people by striking a balance between the excesses of Barangaroo South and the creation of an extended Harbour Park that encompasses the entirety of Central Barangaroo.

This expanded parkland would also showcase the heritage area of Millers Point, including its High Street Cutting and terraces, leading to an unobstructed Observatory and Observatory Park, while providing desperately needed recreational space for exercise and competitive outdoor games.

Such a development would provide much-needed green spaces for the western part of the city, comparable to major parks found in other global metropolises. It would preserve valuable public land for communal use, attract visitors and tourists, and create business opportunities and jobs, resulting in long-term economic benefits.

The legacy that the government could leave to the people of NSW and the entire nation would be unparalleled if it embraced this vision for an extended Harbour Park at Central Barangaroo.