Parramatta River Transformation

When complete, the Parramatta to Sydney Foreshore Link will provide Sydney’s longest continuous route for people to walk and ride bikes. The 91km path follows the Parramatta River foreshore, linking Parramatta Park and the Sydney Opera House/Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Parramatta to Sydney Foreshore Link brings together the NSW Government and Councils to work collaboratively to improve access to the foreshore and deliver new and upgraded pedestrian and cyclist paths for our community.

The redevelopment of Riverside Theatres is one of the most exciting cultural development projects to be undertaken in NSW in years. The site of Riverside Theatres is directly located on the northern banks of the Parramatta River and has always been a place of rich culture. 

The Parramatta River is regarded as a living entity by Aboriginal people both in spirit and body.

The reimagined Riverside Theatres is designed with First Nations inspired interiors, crafted with global best-practice standards, with a strong focus on accessibility and artistic flexibility.

The highly anticipated winning design, led by COX Architecture with 3XN Architects, Aileen Sage, Turf Design Studio and Bangawarra, will more than double Riverside Theatres’ current capacity to 2,780 seats. 

Construction of Riverside Theatres will start in late 2025, with doors to Western Sydney’s newest performing arts centre set to open in 2028.

Council is investing more than $136M million, with $40 million in NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants also committed to the project. 
 

Designed to capitalise on the popularity of the Parramatta Valley Cycleway along the Parramatta River foreshore, this exciting project sees separated walking and cycling paths created alongside 2.8km of the river, providing the community with increased access to the foreshore and the natural beauty of the Parramatta River. 

Upgrades to paths and amenity will be provided at Rangihou Reserve and Baludarri Wetlands in Parramatta; Reid Park, Rydalmere; Royal Shores, Ermington; and George Kendall Reserve West, Rydalmere.

With wider separate paths for pedestrians and bike riders, and upgrades at crossings, the project will improve accessibility and safety. Lighting in select locations will support increased use of the pathways. 

Planned for completion in 2027, this $9 million project is funded by the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program, in association with City of Parramatta. 

For more information visit the Eastern Parramatta River and CBD Precinct Connections page.
 

Set to be completed by 2027, this $28+ million project is centred around the creation of new pedestrian and cycling connections to provide the community with more opportunities to engage with, appreciate, and enjoy the Parramatta River.

Funded by the NSW Government’s Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants Program, in association with City of Parramatta, this project is focused on the river segment between Marsden Street and O'Connell Street, and introduces a dedicated bridge for pedestrians and cyclists to connect the northern and southern riverbanks and a new boardwalk on the southern foreshore. For more information see Western River Precinct Connections

City of Parramatta is excited to have delivered a unique lookout experience at the heart of the Parramatta River Foreshore. 

Officially opened on 21 February 2025, the $1M upgrade completely transformed an under-used reserve. 

The Dixon Park Escarpment Lookout includes a cantilevered platform structure that offers views directly over the Parramatta River, along with new paths, seating, feature tree planting and bushland planting.

The $1.4M project was jointly funded by the Australian Government and the NSW Government in association with City of Parramatta.
 

The Stewart Street Reserve Escarpment Lookout will link the Escarpment Boardwalk and Charles Street Square. Find out more 
 

At the heart of Parramatta is the river, an ancient waterway that has attracted and sustained communities for thousands of years.

In mid-2023, the City of Parramatta Council endorsed a new vision for the Parramatta River along with an exciting proposal to create a 870ha Central River Parkland.

Within the Parramatta River Vision, the focus of Council’s work over the next decade will be transforming the river, improving water quality, and creating a space for nature.

For more information visit the Central River Parklands page. 

As part of a Voluntary Planning Agreement between City of Parramatta and the developers of 12-14 Phillip Street, the foreshore area on the south-side of the Parramatta River is being renewed. 

The project includes a range of public domain improvements between Church Street and Marsden Street including new pedestrian access via the Lennox Bridge and new stairs within the development linking to Church Street and Marsden Street. 

A new boardwalk will extend to the west providing more access to the foreshore area with outlook towards the Marsden Street Weir.  In addition to repairing the sea wall, new paving and balustrades will be introduced. Upgrades to lighting, seating, and new tree planting will also contribute to making the area more welcoming and attractive. 

Duck River is the most significant north-south watercourse in Parramatta, it connects City of Parramatta with the City of Canterbury Bankstown and Cumberland City Council.

One of the City of Parramatta’s most ambitious projects for 2024 - 2028, the $28.5M+ Duck River Nature Trail Project, will be delivered over three stages to provide the community with around 4.5km of safe and enjoyable off-road walking and cycling along both sides of the Duck River. Once complete, the Duck River Nature Trail will showcase saltmarsh and mangrove habitats and connect to the M4 Shared Path and Parramatta River foreshore path network.

Community engagement

The concept design for Stage 1 of the Duck River Nature Trail was on public exhibition in late-2024. The community was invited to provide feedback on Stage 2 of the Duck River Nature Trail (Silverwater Streets) in early -February to mid-March 2025.

Community consultation focussed on the proposed enhancements to the Silverwater street network including new pedestrian/cyclist paths, lighting, tree planting and more.   

Find out more about the Duck River Nature Trail

The Finlaysons Creek Project delivers a key missing pedestrian and cyclist link along Finlaysons Creek in Wentworthville and Westmead. The link connects the M4 and Prospect Canal cycleways to the T-Way Cycleway and Parramatta Valley Cycleway via a safe and high amenity paths for residents, workers and visitors.

Proposed to be delivered in three stages, the project focuses on improvements to Shannons Paddock, Westmead; a new connection from Shannons Paddock Wentworth Avenue, Westmead; a new path from Wentworth Avenue Westmead, under the Western Rail Line to Veron Street Wentworthville.

Works will include separated and shared paths; improved crossings including raised pedestrian and cyclist crossing of Wentworth Avenue; two bridges; boardwalks; as well as improvements to pedestrian and cycle path lighting, and landscaping.

The $13.6 million Finlayson Creek Regional Cycleway is co-funded by Council and the NSW Government through the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants and Get NSW Active programs.

Officially opened on Tuesday 31 October 2023, the Alfred Street Bridge is a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the Parramatta River between James Ruse Drive and the Gasworks Bridge.  At 4.5 meters wide and almost 200m long, it will be the first true diagonal arch bridge in Australia.

Co-funded by City of Parramatta and the NSW Government, this $19 million project is part of the revitalisation of the Parramatta River, and is a key element within a network of planned pedestrian and cyclist improvements.

For more information visit the Alfred Street Bridge page.

Information on community consultation, and on the related cycleway projects, can be found here.

The Old King's Foreshore, adjacent to the Old King's Parade Ground, holds cultural, historical and social significance at local, state and federal levels. The foreshore is also a popular recreation area and forms a part of a high-traffic pedestrian corridor linking key destinations including the Parramatta CBD and CommBank Stadium.

Following extensive community consultation, planning and design, and Heritage NSW approvals, in March 2023, twenty (20) LED light poles were installed along the shared pathway, improving amenity and safety for pedestrians and bike riders.

For more information see Old King’s Foreshore. 
 

Co-funded by City of Parramatta and the NSW Government, this $18 million project is the final link in the popular Parramatta Valley Cycleway.

As part of the project, Council has also delivered two new sets of stairs, providing direct access from the boardwalk to Stewart Street and Macarthur Street for students of Macarthur Girls High School and the public. With this new connection, the community can now experience over 20km of off-road paths on both sides of the Parramatta River.

Charles Street Square at Parramatta Quay has been a gathering place for locals and visitors for thousands of years – and now with funding support from the NSW Government via the Transport Access and NSW Public Spaces Legacy Programs - it’s been transformed.

A critical project for Council, Parramatta Quay is now a vibrant public space, an accessible entry point to our City that celebrates the Parramatta River. Construction on the $12.7M+ project was completed in October, with an official launch held 27 November 2023.

Work on Charles Street Square’s public art piece continues. Designed to engage audiences and take them on a journey, Craig Walsh’s 30-minute multi-layered video ‘Ebb and Flow’ explores Parramatta over time.

The artwork will be projected 30 meters long x 10 meters high onto the escarpment across the river from Parramatta Quay and will be best viewed from Charles Street Square. The artwork is anticipated to open to the public in September 2024. 

Charles Street Square has won two major industry awards:

AIA NSW Urban Design Award 2024 (Australian Institute of Architects)

AILA NSW Award of Excellence for Civic Design 2024 (Australian Institute of Landscape Architects)
 

For more information visit the Charles Street Square page.