Liberals promises to build 3.3km walking trail if elected
The long-awaited high line project at Lavender Bay looks set to finally get off the ground – if the Liberals win the forthcoming State Election.
Premier Dominic Perrottet has committed to building the 3.3-kilometre walkway, which would link Balls Head to Bradfield Park in North Sydney, if his government is re-elected.
The high line was first proposed by a group of locals back in 2016 to open up the Sydney Harbour foreshore, some of which is blocked by historic shipping facilities.
The Sydney Harbour HighLine Group proposed using the old railway lines to the left of Luna Park to link Lavender Bay and Waverton, two areas which are not accessible along the foreshore.
While the proposal had a groundswell of community support and was backed by the local members of parliament, it was stalled by Transport for New South Wales which said the old railway lines were still needed for train shunting and storage.
Now it seems that barrier has been lifted, with the premier announcing ‘a strategic business case’ to canvas options for converting the disused rail corridor along the Milsons Point foreshore.
President of the HighLine Group, Ian Mutton, said the announcement was ‘extremely exciting,’ as the premier had the ‘authority to make it happen’.
“But with all of these things, the ultimate measure is with the delivery. The community wants the delivery now and not some distant date in the future,” he told North Shore Living.
Mr Mutton said the shift in position on the old railway lines could be because in 2024, the new Sydney Metro will run under the Harbour Bridge to the city.
“Feasibly they won’t need the lines anymore.”
Wendy’s Secret Garden, which sits above Lavender Bay, will get a 300 square metre expansion as the first project to be tackled.
At the time of publication, no dates had been set for any of the initiatives, which will be led by a joint community and government project group.
For more information, visit https://www.sydneyharbourhighline.org.au/