Work will recommence at South Lawson Park after Easter, following additional community consultation in March. Crews are already on site to ensure it is ready for construction to begin as soon as possible.
The project was paused earlier this year to seek further feedback from the community. Consultation showed that a majority of residents support the vision for the park and the current plans, and are eager for the project to be completed.
Meanwhile, stakeholders could not agree on the type of fence to be used for the dog off leash area. Half of the respondents supported Council's preferred option - a wire mesh fence with a combination of galvanised steel star pickets and square heavy duty galvanised steel posts. This option has been chosen because it has been assessed to be safer, more durable and have a minimal visual impact, compared to the alternative. It is also used at other comparable dog off leash areas.
Blue Mountains City Council CEO, Dr Rosemary Dillon said: "The vision for this park is to create a significant recreational space that balances the needs of a wide cross-section of the community and improves the protection of nearby waterways. The current project will do that."
The project will deliver:
- More than 2km of shared pathway - that will provide greater accessibility and amenity to the park for a wider range of people
- A fenced dog off leash area
- A nature exploration play area
- Grass terrace seating
- Water refill stations and seating throughout the park, and
- Improved protection of the creek line, swamp and wet areas by extensive bush regeneration.
Following the consultation results, Council will:
- Relocate the fence at the southern end of the park, around the bunker near the 'Esky' tree.
- Investigate adding an extra water station at the southern end of the park. As this would require more ground disturbance than originally proposed, the idea needs to be tested with Traditional Owners and Council's environmental scientist. The community will be notified once this occurs and a decision has been made.
- Relocate telegraph pole seating near shade, and
- Reconfigure the proposed agility mounds so that they replicate the high point of the tee, which needs to be bisected.
"The additional on-site consultation events gave the broad community the opportunity to talk one-one-one with staff, work through particular concerns, get detailed answers to specific questions and submit thoughtful feedback about the South Lawson Park upgrade plans," Dr Dillon continued.
An extension for the project is currently being sought from the grant body, to deliver the project by January 2023 given delays due to additional consultation and unprecedented rainfall.
"I urge those who did have concerns about the project initially to remain patient," Dr Dillon said. "The new plan means the project will be conducted in stages, allowing large parts of the park to remain open for the community to continue to use during construction."
This summer, a number of intense storms and persistent wet weather presented significant challenges to the sediment control measures at South Lawson Park.
Council continues to closely monitor and assess current robust sediment controls, to ensure they are maintained. Controls were under pressure, but effective, during the natural disaster in early March.
The Environment Protection Authority earlier investigated the site, after complaints from the community, but were satisfied with Council's sediment and erosion controls.
More information and the new staging plan for the project are available on the South Lawson Park Have Your Say project page.
The project has been funded under the Western Parkland City Liveability Program, which is part of the Western Sydney City Deal (WSCD). The WSCD is a 20 year-agreement between the Australian and NSW governments, and the eight local Councils of the Western Parkland City.
Photo: render of shared pathway at South Lawson Park
