Sydney Park Stormwater Reuse

Sydney, Australia

Transforming a landfill site into a flourishing city parkland

The Sydney Park Water Re-Use Project, a cornerstone of Sustainable Sydney 2030, stands as a leading environmental endeavour for the city. Over the past two decades, we've successfully turned the site's brickworks and landfill heritage into a thriving 44-hectare park, now a cherished asset for the inner city communities in Sydney's south-east.

• Water harvesting
• Urban Ecology
• Nature-based recreation
• Integrated Public Art
• Environmental Education
• High-performing open space

30,000,000 litres saved a year

The beating heart of this project tells a story about water; through its function and processes that enables stormwater to be harvested from the surrounding urban catchment in its wetlands, made good and returned to viable use within the park and nearby industry. ‘The Cascades’ bio-retention wetlands captures water from the Newtown catchment; the equivalent measure of 340 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth per annum.

The project reinvigorates our view of park landscapes, by creating intrigue and dialogue as park users explore and discover ‘moments’ in the landscape that can be at times playful, dramatic and peaceful, but at all times connected to the water narrative of capture, movement, and cleansing.

1946 Bedford Austral Clay Pit of St Peters

1965 Landfill and Brick Kilns

"Turf Design Studio & Environmental Partnership has delightfully brought the wetlands and water treatment story to life in the park. They've connected the park's landscape, creating charming spots through a chain of wetlands with weirs, bridges, paths, and stepping stones, fostering a stronger bond between community and nature."

Clover Moore,
Lord Mayor of Sydney

The Turpin Crawford Studio ‘Waterfalls’ artwork playfully releases recycled water from the wetlands and into the ponds; playing on the spirit of water and its interactions with topography, form, surfaces, creating habitats for a wide range of endemic plants, fish, dragonflies and frogs.

New picnic grounds

Paths and recreational spaces are interwoven through the new park landscape; enhancing amenity and accessibility for all park users.

The exposure of this project educates visitors on the importance of water management and how improving water quality and reducing potable water can be intrinsically linked into our natural surroundings.

Client
City of Sydney

Location
Gadigal Country | Sydney, Australia
Google Map

Date
Completed 2015

Project Value
AU$11.3 million

Team
Turf Design Studio + Environmental Partnership: Project Lead
Alluvium: Water & Environment
Turpin Crawford Studio: Public Art
Dragonfly: Ecology

Awards
Recipient of 35+ awards including
2015 American Architecture Prize (Landscape Architecture)
2018 International Architecture Award Overall Winner of Landscape
2018 WAN Award for Landscape
2018 Good Design Award Best in Class in Architectural & Urban Design
2018 UK 59th Annual Civic Trust Special Award for Sustainability
2020 Architizer A+Award for Architecture + Water
2022 AILA NSW Award of Excellence for Research, Policy & Communications