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.

Find out more about the Sydney Foreshore Link here.

The redevelopment of Riverside Theatres is one of the most exciting cultural development projects to be undertaken in NSW in many 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.

For more information visit the Riverside Theatres page.

Located in the Parramatta CBD, and on the Parramatta River foreshore, Powerhouse Parramatta is one of the world’s most significant new museum projects. It is being delivered by the NSW Government.

Powerhouse Parramatta will:

• Deliver more than 18,000 square metres of exhibition and public space, providing increased access to the museum's extraordinary collection and education programs.
• Be the first major cultural institution to be built in Western Sydney. Communities across the Greater Sydney region will have increased access to exhibitions, educational and community programs.
• Be a high-quality built form and landscape design that achieves design excellence. The project will deliver a new museum connected to the Parramatta River foreshore, delivering public domain and open spaces for the whole community.

Find out more about the NSW Government’s Powerhouse Parramatta here

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 the 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 visit the Western River Precinct Connections page.

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

The Duck River Nature Trail will provide the community with around 4.5km of safe and enjoyable off-road walking and cycling along both sides of the Duck River.

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.

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 (Silverwater Park) 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 2025. Community consultation focussed on the proposed enhancements to the Silverwater street network including new pedestrian/cyclist paths, lighting, tree planting and more. 

The project is funded by the NSW Government through its Western Sydney Infrastructure Grants program.

Find more information visit the NSW Government | Duck River Nature Trail page.

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 path 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.

For more information visit the Finlayson Creek page.

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

Officially opened on 21 February 2025, the 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 the City of Parramatta.

The Dixon Park Escarpment Lookout will link the Escarpment Boardwalk and Charles Street Square.

For more information visit the Dixon Park Escarpment Lookout page. 

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.

The Charles Street Square is now a vibrant public space which welcomes ferry passengers, celebrates the Parramatta River, and provides fully accessible pedestrian connections to the CBD. Public art and heritage interpretations add to the visitor experience.

Construction on the $12.7M+ project was completed in October, with an official launch held 27 November 2023.

For more information visit the Charles Street Square page.

The Alfred Street Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the Parramatta River between James Ruse Drive and the Gasworks Bridge.  At 4.5m wide and almost 200m long, it is 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. The bridge was officially opened on Tuesday 31 October 2023,

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 visit the Old King’s Foreshore page.

Co-funded by Council and the NSW Government, this $18 million project is the final link in the popular Parramatta Valley Cycleway. This connection allows the community to experience more than 20km of off-road paths on both sides of the Parramatta River.

As part of the project, Council 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.

For more information visit the Escarpment Boardwalk page.

The Lennox Bridge portal is officially complete, opening up new ways for people to experience the Parramatta River foreshore, bringing together heritage and active transport in one of the City’s most historic locations.

Read more about the Lennox Bridge Portal.

A range of public domain improvements have, and continue to be, delivered on the southern side of the Parramatta River, in and around the southern arch of the historic Lennox Bridge.

These improvements were partly funded by The Lennox, a high-rise development project with residential and retail components located near the bridge.

These improvements include:

• A boardwalk promenade, west of Lennox Bridge, which opened in December 2024 and provides pedestrian access to the foreshore with a scenic outlook to the Marsden Street Weir.
• New stairs at either end of the Lennox Foreshore promenade, which link to Church and Marsden Streets.

Seawall repairs, along with new paving, balustrades, lighting, seating and new tree planting along the Lennox Foreshore promenade, to make the area more welcoming and attractive.  

The last component of the project is the opening of a new pedestrian walkway (known as the southern portal) beneath the Lennox Bridge.

In 2015, tunnels on both sides of the river were excavated through the historic sandstone bridge (built circa 1883). Once safety improvements are finalised, visitors will be able to use these tunnels to walk through the bridge on the southern foreshore to Dirrabarri Lane. This new access is expected by mid-2025.

This means that, once the Powerhouse Parramatta is complete, there will be a continuous pedestrian link along the southern side of the Parramatta River connecting Marsden Street to the Gasworks Bridge on Harris Street.

The Eastern Parramatta River project delivered new separated walking and cycling paths along the northern foreshore of the Parramatta Valley Cycleway in Ermington and Rydalmere.

The project also saw the construction of an amenities block and tree planting.  

Completed over three stages, the final piece of the project, west of Parramatta Quay, opened in mid-2024.

For information on the Eastern Parramatta River project see Eastern River Foreshore Transformation | City of Parramatta.

The improvements achieved by this project led to another grant to fund upgrades along the eastern foreshore. Find out more about the current program of works at Eastern Parramatta River | City of Parramatta.

Completed over three stages from 2019 to 2024, the Eastern Parramatta River project delivered new separated walking and cycling paths along the northern foreshore of the Parramatta Valley Cycleway in Ermington and Rydalmere, and a new path west of Parramatta Quay.

Funded by the NSW Government’s Stronger Community Fund - Major Projects Program, the project was designed to provide improved community infrastructure and services introducing safety features, an amenities block and tree planting.

The Eastern River project was separate to the Rydalmere Wharf upgrade led by Transport for New South Wales.

The improvements achieved by this project led to another grant to fund upgrades along the eastern foreshore. Find out more about the current program of works at Eastern Parramatta River | City of Parramatta

Community engagement - Review of Environmental Factors In October 2018, the community provided feedback on the concept design and review of environmental factors (REF) for this project.

The review of environmental factors covered:

• engineering, environmental and planning factors
• design and operational requirements
• construction impacts and risk mitigation strategies
• impacts on flora and fauna
• legislative requirements and approvals.

View the final concept image (PDF)