River Foreshore is Parramatta's New Jewel in the Crown

As the city continues to celebrate and reconnect with Parramatta River, the Lord Mayor of Parramatta City Council, Cr Tony Issa OAM, yesterday opened the third stage of the Parramatta Foreshore Improvement Project.

The refurbishments to the Parramatta River Foreshore within the CBD valued at $1.1 million provide an important cycleway link as well as high quality recreational use along the river foreshore complete with landscaping and public art.

"I want to welcome our community to the new section of Parramatta's river foreshore," said Parramatta City Council's Lord Mayor, Cr Tony Issa OAM.

"The transformation of this site over the past six months has been incredible," said Cr Issa.

"This was once an area choked in 10m high noxious weeds and it has now been cleared and landscaped into a beautiful public park," he said.

"A 3m-wide shared pedestrian and cycle friendly pathway welcomes visitors and residents to this part of Parramatta and connects Charles Street Ferry Wharf with the Gasworks Bridge and Harris Park heritage area," said Cr Tony Issa.

"The enhancement of this section of the river foreshore demonstrates how different government agencies can work together for the common good of the community," said Cr Issa.

The project was supported by the NSW Government through $300,000 funding under its ‘Sharing Sydney Harbour Access Program' and the Roads and Traffic Authority's Regional Cycleways Program.

"As part of the upgrades, Council commissioned three major artworks including the eight-meter tall, red and white Sentry Box," said Cr Issa.

"These artworks developed by artists Susan Milne and Greg Stonehouse, and historian Michael Flynn, explore and interpret the unique heritage and tell stories of the river and Parramatta," he said.

As part of the rehabilitation of the riverbank, mangrove and salt marsh are being refreshed and 2000 local native grasses and groundcovers planted.