LANDMARK EQUALITY TARGET SET FOR BANK STREET PARK

The new 1.1-hectare waterfront park on Bank Street will surround the southern pylon of the iconic Anzac Bridge. Infrastructure NSW is working closely with head contractor BESIX Watpac to achieve a minimum target of 40 percent and a stretch target of 50 percent women working on the project, a significant increase on the 12 percent average.

The Women in Construction pilot project aims to address the underrepresentation of women in the NSW construction industry, challenge perceptions and support a long-term increase in women’s participation across the sector - an imbalance that limits diversity, reduces the available talent pool and makes it harder to meet the state’s infrastructure needs. 

Minister for Women, Jodie Harrison said: “This contract is a step in the right direction towards boosting gender diversity in the building and construction sector.  We know there is more work to be done, but projects like this will encourage industry to think outside the box to ensure more women are entering and thriving in the construction industry and see it as a long-term career.”

The public park will be the first green space delivered in the revitalisation of Blackwattle Bay. Designed by landscape architect Oculus with Collins and Turner, Greenshoot Consulting and Greenaway Architects, a highlight of the park’s design is better access to Blackwattle Bay through the establishment of a new public pontoon and several other water ingress points. The park will include:

• Outdoor multipurpose court
• Playground
• Outdoor fitness station
• Community building with community space, public amenities and marina office
• Waterside café
• Water access for paddle craft and storage for dragon boats
• Harbour foreshore walkways and new cycle paths
• Public art, wayfinding and interpretive signage
• Adaptive reuse of buildings along Bank Street and repurposing an existing building as a seating area and garden
• Open lawns and First Nations inspired shelter structures

Fenced off from the public for more than a decade, the new waterfront park will be a key connecting piece along the soon-to-be 15-kilometre continuous harbourfront walk from Woolloomooloo to Rozelle Bay and is positioned on the doorstep of the new Sydney Fish Market.

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said: “This project is also a shining example of our commitment to increasing women’s participation in the construction sector. The team set to build this stunning new waterfront park has a target of 50% women including women in leadership, a fantastic initiative to help expand our construction workforce.” 

Click here to read our initial write-up on the Bank Street Park