The City of Sydney has announced plans to upgrade three parks in the inner city suburb of Redfern, a culturally rich neighbourhood shaped by the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Key upgrades will be carried out at the Redfern Community Centre open space, Yellomundee Park and Hugo Street Reserve, encompassing more than 4,500 square metres of parkland. Redfern’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage will be at the heart of the designs, which are informed by extensive community consultation and aim to create greener, cooler parks with native trees and plants, making for safer and more welcoming spaces.

Artist’s impression of the proposed upgrades to the Redfern Community Centre open space

“As our city grows and more areas are developed, creating inviting places where the local community can come together and socialise is even more important,” Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore says.

“The area is experiencing major changes with increased development around Redfern station and more to come as the metro station at Waterloo gets closer to becoming operational.”

Keeping in mind the significance of the area to the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Council has given due consideration to what they want for the future of the area, and in particular, the local parks.

“The residents who live near these parks share a strong sense of community and they’ve told us they want them to be friendly and inviting places where children can play safely. Our upgrades will improve spaces for sport and recreation while creating new playgrounds for families to come together and enjoy.”

The proposed upgrades will increase native greening in the area and provide opportunities for residents to connect to Country.

The proposal for the Redfern Community Centre open space includes a larger playground catering to several ages; a greater lawn area suitable for events, pop-up attractions and free play; a new shaded barbecue and seating area; and an activated Redfern terrace that has the capacity to tell local stories through a ‘living museum’ among others.

For the Yellomundee Park upgrade, the proposal includes a new gathering space in the centre of the park; improved lawn areas and potential community garden plots; and a new path through the park.

The Hugo Street Reserve proposal includes an upgraded basketball court with noise minimising treatments; an improved off-leash dog area to the south; and an upgraded lawn and garden area to the north.

All three parks will also feature new seating, bins and bubblers with improved lighting.

Once the project scope is endorsed by Council, a multi-disciplinary design team, including an Aboriginal cultural specialist, will help design the project with the local community.

Image: Artist’s impression of the proposed upgrades to the Redfern Community Centre open space