“I’m expecting it will also become a tourist attraction and a recreational facility that will be used by many people, not just in the inner west but Sydneysiders generally.”
Bicycle NSW chief executive Peter McLean said the path would form “a connecting spine” that would link the bike and pedestrian route with light rail, train and future metro services to the city. McLean said the track would be a boon for cyclists, but also for families, beginner bike riders, walkers, runners, and those with a disability.
“It’s connecting all those people with different transport options, and not along footpaths or boring, dangerous roads, but in beautiful, natural green spaces which are historically, culturally, and environmentally significant.
“It’s giving people a sense of place, which is good for every single member of our society. Arguably it should’ve been finished many years ago, but it’s done now, and it’s worth every dollar that’s been spent on it.”
The ambitious project evolved from a state government scheme, “greening the grey spots”, in the 1980s, which had identified areas around the canal for bush regeneration. In 2010, the former Labor state government vowed to complete the greenway from Parramatta Road to the Cooks River alongside the inner west light rail line.
The track includes five tunnels that dip beneath thoroughfares, including Parramatta Road. A sixth tunnel will be built under Old Canterbury Road.Credit: Sam Mooy
However, after the Coalition won power in 2011, then-transport minister Gladys Berejiklian shelved the GreenWay proposal because she regarded the estimated cost of $37 million at the time as too expensive.
But residents and the four local councils along the greenway route, three of which were later merged to form the Inner West Council, continued to covet the pathway. Chapman, who worked as the GreenWay place manager for seven years until 2019, said together they were gradually able to win back the state government’s support.
The project was revived when the council and former Baird government committed funds to start work on the missing gaps in the path in 2016. They were helped by the now-defunct Greater Sydney Commission, which identified the project as a priority of its citywide green grid scheme to link public open space and cycle paths.
Long-time campaigner Jennifer Kent spent years attending weekend markets and events to gather signatures for petitions to send to politicians: “This was a community effort,” she said.
The link between the Cooks River and Iron Cove takes about 25 minutes to cycle, or 75 minutes to walk. Credit: Sam Mooy
Chapman said locals were “often 10 or 20 years ahead of the government” when it came to projects such as greenways, which were part of a global movement to reclaim spaces for active transport, recreation and nature.
“The politicians need to decide how to carve up the cake, while the community’s banging [on] about things they think are really important. We were banging on about the greenway, and I think we were about 20 years in front.”
The project’s missing links and new artworks have gradually been completed in the past few years. Chapman said there was a “ripple of excitement going through the inner west” before Sunday’s opening, which was “immensely satisfying for me, and to many others who have been pushing so hard for so long”.
Another instrumental campaigner, environmental planning consultant Bruce Ashley, said, despite the long wait, the track was “not a project that starts and stops, it’s an ongoing vision. I tell people the ‘way’ part of the GreenWay is done, now we can focus on the ‘green’ part. I say the new plan is for ‘weed-free by 2033’.”
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Chapman said one of the “greatest achievements” of the GreenWay was that it unlocked seven hectares of publicly owned land which had been fenced off for nearly 100 years. He said the project showed governments could utilise existing assets to create green corridors as Sydney grew denser and hotter, noting there were nascent routes in Paddington, between Kyeemagh and Sandringham near Botany Bay, and from Artarmon to Middle Harbour.
“If we can use it as an exemplar to attract state government interest and investment, there’s half a chance future generations will benefit from living in this glorious city in the same way that we have. But it’s got to happen.”
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