Berrys Bay, Sydney’s newest waterfront park

News / Projects / Media 4 August 2025 Share

Berrys Bay will soon host Sydney Harbour’s newest waterfront park, as announced by Jenny Aitchison, NSW Minister for Roads. The proposal will transform almost two hectares of former industrial land with recreational open spaces, a playground, indoor and outdoor community gathering spaces, and foreshore activation.

Located on the Waverton peninsula along the northern foreshore of Sydney Harbour, and nestled in between Carradah Park and Balls Head Reserve, the new parkland will be delivered by Transport for NSW (Transport) and Western Harbour Tunnel (WHT) delivery partner, ACCIONA, as part of the WHT project. Initially earmarked as a construction site for the under-harbour portion of WHT, the future park will be delivered ahead of the completion of tunnelling, thanks to a change in tunnelling methodology.

The park will fulfil the vision for an activated waterfront in Berrys Bay, incorporating themes and narratives from First Nations community engagement (led by Nguluway DesignInc) and stakeholder engagement. The design builds on previous masterplanning work by integrating elements of the natural bushland setting while respecting and celebrating the site’s rich maritime industrial heritage. The park will bridge the missing link in access around the Waverton peninsula, with new pathways that connect Carradah Park to Council Beach and beyond. Transforming previous industrial land, the project will provide improved amenities and create a new outdoor destination for the community.

The design, led by DesignInc, is headlined by the creation of a new community pavilion at the former Woodley’s Shed. This purpose-built facility will celebrate the boat building legacy and iconic shed form that has symbolised Berrys Bay for more than a century while accommodating community events and activations and serving as a landmark along the foreshore path. While still in design, the pavilion form will acknowledge and celebrate the site’s rich heritage, including salvaged elements like the original Woodley’s Shed signage, while incorporating modern public domain and landscaping to extend the covered space toward the water. The concept design for the new pavilion was designed in collaboration with Transport for NSW, North Sydney Council and former tenants of Woodley’s Shipyard, and work continues on the detailing to deliver a modern, flexible community facility.

Landscape design of the park will extend the surrounding bushland, using natural, informal planting to improve biodiversity and canopy cover throughout the site. The reestablishment of locally native plants heal the site through revegetation, combining with Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles to manage, treat and reuse stormwater effectively, improving water quality as it flows into the harbour. This scheme ensures passive water is collected and reused to reduce reliance on reticulated water supply and improve urban water quality generally. In addition to the open parklands and gathering spaces, other key elements include a new playground, BBQs, shelters and public artwork. Co-design played a central role in the design of playground, with students from North Sydney Demonstration Public School, 1st North Sydney Cubs, and Planet X Youth Centre working with the design team to create their ideal play facilities using nature-based materials.

Michael Kahn, Urban Design Principal and DesignInc Project Lead, said:

‘Berrys Bay will become a vibrant new public green space, enhancing community access to Sydney’s iconic foreshore. By bridging the missing link in a key waterfront connection, it will create a seamless and accessible network of open spaces. Its rich history will be on display, celebrating Sydney’s unique maritime and natural heritage, fostering a deeper connection between people and place.

‘Ultimately, this is designed as a place for people. Somewhere to take in the harbour, a place for the kids to play, to walk the dog, or to picnic with friends and family. It’s through these interventions that we’re able to contribute to a more vibrant, connected and healthier Sydney—creating moments for us to come together, enjoy the greenery, and appreciate the world around us.’

The design of the park and pavilion will form part of the WHT Berrys Bay Place, Design and Landscape Plan (PDLP), which is now on public display. These works form a part of the WHT project, a transformative infrastructure project which will vastly improve connectivity in Sydney through a 6.5-kilometre tunnel spanning Rozelle to Cammeray. DesignInc are providing integrated design services for WHT.

The Western Harbour Tunnel project team for the Place Design and Landscape Plan for Berrys Bay includes ACCIONA (Delivery Partner), DesignInc (Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Architecture), Nguluway DesignInc (Cultural Facilitator; in association with Barra-gi Consulting) and BG&E (Engineering) for Transport for NSW.

You can view the publicly available Berrys Bay PDLP here.