Expanded open space for Crows Nest

A number of strategic decisions relating to the Hume Street Park expansion have already been made through previous Council resolutions, community consultation processes and long-term planning documents.

These include:

• The recognition that additional public open space is needed in the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct to support a growing population.
• The identification of Hume Street Park as a key opportunity to expand publicly accessible open space.
• The inclusion of the park expansion within Council's strategic planning for the precinct since 2012.
• Completion of Stage 1 of the project in 2022, which delivered approximately 1,200 square metres of additional public open space and improved connections between Hume Street Park, Willoughby Road and the Metro precinct.
• Council's adoption of the Open Space and Recreation Strategy, which identifies the Hume Street Park expansion as a priority project.
• Council's decision to progress planning, design and community consultation for the next stage of the park expansion.
• Council's decision to enter into an agreement with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) for the funding, project management and delivery of the next stage of the project.
• Council's decision to extend the lease for Kelly's Place until 31 December 2026, recognising the importance of the service to families while also providing certainty regarding the timing of the next stage of the Hume Street Park expansion project.

The current consultation is focused on the design and delivery of the next stage of Hume Street Park, including how the space can best meet the needs of the community.

Community feedback will help inform the detailed design, functionality and features of the expanded park before construction commences.

The expanded park will provide additional publicly accessible open space in a location where demand is already high and expected to grow significantly.

The project will create more opportunities for informal recreation, children's play, community gathering, exercise and passive enjoyment of open space, helping to support the health and wellbeing of current and future residents.

The expanded park is intended to serve current and future residents, workers, visitors and Metro users. Demand for public open space in the precinct is expected to increase significantly as the area continues to grow and accommodate thousands of additional residents over coming years.

Council and the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure are seeking community input on matters such as:

• The types of recreation opportunities that should be provided within the park.
• Landscaping, planting and shade.
• Play opportunities for children and young people.
• Accessibility and inclusion features.
• Park furniture, seating and gathering spaces.
• Pedestrian connections and movement through the site.
• Community safety, amenity and activation.
• Sustainability and environmental initiatives.
• The overall look, feel and character of the expanded park.

A number of strategic decisions have already been made through previous Council resolutions, long-term planning processes and funding agreements. These include the need for additional public open space in the precinct, the expansion of Hume Street Park as a priority project, the funding and delivery partnership with the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, and the project timeframe.

The purpose of this consultation is therefore to help shape the design and functionality of the expanded park so that it best meets the needs of the community.

Community feedback will not determine whether the project proceeds, but it will help shape how the expanded park is designed and used by the community.

This project is currently in the early, pre-design stage. Before design work begins, we want to understand what matters most to the community and how people would like to us and experience this space. Community members are encouraged provide feedback during the public exhibition period. All submissions received will be considered before the design is finalised.

Yes.  The Hume Street Park expansion follows the NSW Governments’ Parks for People design approach.

1. Listen and learn: Study the site, culture, ecology and gather community ideas.
2. Shape the vision: Designers create principles guided by Country, nature and local identity
3. Create the concept design: Key spaces and routes are mapped out for community review
4. Community feedback: You tell us what works well and what needs adjusting.
5. Final design: Your feedback refines the plan before approvals and detailed design.
6. Delivery: Construction begins once the final design is complete

The proposed expansion of Hume Street Park includes land currently occupied by Kelly's Place Child Care Centre.

The expansion has been planned for more than a decade to address the significant shortage of public open space within the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct. Delivery of the park expansion requires the land currently occupied by Kelly's Place to be incorporated into the expanded park.

Council does not operate Kelly's Place and any decision regarding the future operation of the service rests with its management and governing committee.

However, Council has determined that the land currently occupied by Kelly's Place is required to deliver the next stage of the Hume Street Park expansion. As a result, Kelly's Place will not be able to continue operating from its current location beyond the expiry of its lease on 31 December 2026.

Council recognises this is a difficult situation for the children, families, staff and volunteers connected with Kelly's Place. Over many years, Council has worked with the centre to explore potential relocation opportunities and has extended lease arrangements to provide additional time for future options to be considered.

However, after more than a decade of planning for the park expansion and many years of efforts to identify alternative premises, the land is now required to deliver the long-planned expansion of Hume Street Park and address the significant shortage of public open space in the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct.

The expansion of Hume Street Park has been planned for many years to address the significant shortage of public open space within the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct.

Retaining Kelly's Place on its current site would prevent the delivery of the next stage of the park expansion and significantly reduce the amount of additional publicly accessible open space that can be provided for the community. The incorporation of this site into the open space area creates significant opportunities for flexible, open, flat park areas that can support a wide variety of play, informal sports and events, that wouldn't be achievable if the childcare remains in this location.

The purpose of the project is to increase the availability of public open space in a precinct that has the lowest provision of open space per resident within the North Sydney Local Government Area and where significant population growth is expected in coming years.

For many residents living in apartments without private backyards, public parks provide important opportunities for recreation, exercise, relaxation and social connection. The expansion of Hume Street Park is intended to help meet these needs by creating additional publicly accessible open space for current and future residents.

Council recognises the importance of Kelly's Place and understands the impact this decision has on families, children and staff. However, after many years of planning, lease extensions and efforts to identify alternative locations, Council has determined that the land is required to deliver the long-planned park expansion for the benefit of the wider community.

Council has carefully considered this option and has provided additional time over many years to allow relocation opportunities to be explored.

The expansion of Hume Street Park has been planned for more than a decade in response to the significant shortage of public open space within the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct. During this time, Council has worked with Kelly's Place to investigate a range of potential relocation opportunities and has extended lease arrangements on multiple occasions to provide additional time to secure an alternative site.

Despite these efforts, a suitable relocation option has not been identified.

At the same time, demand for public open space continues to grow as the precinct experiences significant residential development and population growth. The project is also supported by NSW Government funding through the Special Infrastructure Contributions program, which has allocated $9.3 million towards delivery of the park expansion, together with project management and delivery support.

Council acknowledges the importance of Kelly's Place and understands this is a difficult situation for families, staff and the broader community. However, after many years of planning, investigation and lease extensions, Council must also consider the broader community benefit of delivering critical open space infrastructure for current and future residents.

Importantly, there is no certainty that further delaying the project would result in a suitable relocation site being identified. While Council remains willing to consider viable opportunities should they arise, the need for additional public open space is immediate and continues to increase as the population of the precinct grows.

The decision to progress the park expansion reflects the need to balance competing community priorities and ensure that long-planned public infrastructure can be delivered for the benefit of the wider community.

Yes. Council and Kelly's Place have been exploring relocation opportunities for many years, including Council-owned properties, private development opportunities, over-station development opportunities and other potential sites within and around the Crows Nest area and beyond.

The challenge has been identifying a site that is appropriately located, affordable, available within the required timeframe and capable of meeting the operational and regulatory requirements of Kellys Place childcare service.

Finding a suitable relocation site for a childcare centre in the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct is particularly challenging due to the limited availability of land and buildings within an increasingly high-density urban environment.

Childcare centres must comply with strict planning, licensing and operational requirements, including the provision of indoor accommodation, dedicated outdoor play space and safe access arrangements for children and families.

In addition to these regulatory requirements, any relocation site must be capable of supporting Kellys Place operational needs and maintaining an appropriate environment for children, families and staff.

In a precinct experiencing significant population growth, where land is scarce, property costs are high and there are competing demands for space, identifying a site that is available, affordable and suitable for a childcare service has proven difficult.

Despite the efforts of both Council and Kelly's Place over a number of years, a suitable alternative location has not been secured.

The expansion of Hume Street Park has been planned for many years; however, delivering major public infrastructure projects can take considerable time due to planning, funding and delivery requirements.

Throughout this period, Council continued to lease the site to Kelly's Place so that families could continue accessing childcare services while long-term plans for the park were progressed. The lease arrangements reflected the future park expansion plans and included provisions acknowledging that the site may ultimately be required for public open space.

The objective of the project is to maximise publicly accessible open space in a precinct with one of the lowest levels of open space per resident in metropolitan Sydney.

A childcare centre requires a building, dedicated outdoor play space and supporting infrastructure. Incorporating a childcare centre into the park would substantially reduce the amount of additional public open space that could be delivered.

In addition, there is currently no identified funding source for the design and construction of a replacement childcare facility on the site.

Yes.

Council recognises that Kelly's Place is an important service for many families and understands the uncertainty this situation creates for parents, children and staff.

This is one of the reasons Council has worked with Kelly's Place over many years to explore relocation opportunities and has extended lease arrangements on multiple occasions to provide additional time for alternative options to be considered.

Council also has a responsibility to consider the needs of the broader community, including current and future families living in the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct. The expansion of Hume Street Park is intended to address a significant shortage of public open space in an increasingly high-density area, where many residents live in apartments and rely on public parks for recreation, exercise, social connection and wellbeing.

Council acknowledges that balancing these competing community needs is difficult and appreciates that the proposed changes will be challenging for many families connected with Kelly's Place.

Yes.

Council recognises the important role that childcare services play in supporting children, families and workforce participation and has considered both current and future demand for childcare services as part of its planning for the growing Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct.

While the direct provision of childcare is not a core responsibility of local government, North Sydney Council has a long history of supporting families through the provision of community facilities and affordable accommodation opportunities for not-for-profit childcare providers where possible. Council values the contribution these services make to the community and has worked with Kelly's Place over many years to explore relocation opportunities.

At the same time, Council has a responsibility to deliver and maintain essential community infrastructure, including parks, open spaces, roads, footpaths, stormwater infrastructure and community facilities. In considering the future needs of the precinct, Council must balance a range of competing community infrastructure demands.

Childcare provision also operates within a broader regional network and families who attend Kelly's Place come from both North Sydney and neighbouring suburbs and local government areas. Council understands that childcare services continue to operate throughout the region and has encouraged discussions between Kelly's Place and other providers regarding future options for families should they be required.

The expansion of Hume Street Park responds to a long-identified and growing shortage of public open space in one of Sydney's most densely populated communities, where many residents rely on public parks as their primary access to outdoor recreation, exercise and green space.