NSW GOVT LAUNCHES PLANS FOR TOWN HALL SQUARE AND MORE
14 May 2025
The NSW Government have revealed its plans for a possible civic square, opposite Town Hall, in its 2025-26 draft budget. The draft earmarks almost $2.7 billion for community infrastructure, urban transformation and new civic facilities.
This includes the acquisition of a property for the development of Town Hall Square, a vision which Lord Mayor Clover Moore said had been three decades in the making.
“In the next four years, we will progress plans—three decades in the making—to create a civic plaza opposite Sydney Town Hall,” Moore said. “This will be the next stage in the transformation of central Sydney and an extension of our improvement works on George Street.”
The square would require the demolition of the block opposite the Town Hall containing the CBD Woolworths.
The draft 2025-2026 Budget and long-term financial plan were endorsed by the council on Monday and would be available for public consultation until June 9.
The budget allocations included $11.4 million for an additional 6300 square metres to Gunyama Park, $10.4 million repairing and landscaping the Sydney Park brick kilns, $10.4 million towards building the new Huntley Street public recreation and sports centre at Alexandria, $9.2 million completing the pedestrianisation of George Street north between Circular Quay and Central station and $5.8 million to advance the Dixon Street renewal project.
“Through careful, strategic financial planning, we are confident of completing major works such as Town Hall Square while maintaining high service levels, continuing to invest in community facilities and our comprehensive grants program and, importantly, ensuring rates are kept low now and into the future.”
