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The expansion of Hume Street Park responds to a long-identified shortage of public open space within the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct.
Council's Open Space and Recreation Needs Study found that Crows Nest and St Leonards currently has just 3.87 square metres of public open space per person, the lowest provision of any catchment within the North Sydney Local Government Area. Without additional open space, this is projected to reduce further to just 2.85 square metres per person by 2036 as the population continues to grow.
The study also found that almost half of the catchment is located more than 400 metres from a local park, meaning many residents are not within a comfortable walking distance of publicly accessible open space. Of particular concern is a significant area of high-density residential development where access to local parks is limited.
For many residents living in apartments without private backyards, public parks provide essential opportunities for recreation, exercise, relaxation and social connection.
The expansion of Hume Street Park forms part of Council's long-term strategy to improve access to open space and support the health and wellbeing of current and future residents in one of Sydney's fastest-growing and most densely populated communities.
The expansion responds to a long identified shortage of public open space in Crows Nest and St Leonards. The project will help provide additional green space, improve pedestrian connections and support a growing community.
Additional open space is needed because Crows Nest and St Leonards is one of the fastest-growing and most densely populated parts of Sydney, yet it already has the lowest provision of public open space in the North Sydney Local Government Area and one of the lowest in Metropolitan Sydney.
Council's Open Space and Recreation Needs Study found that the precinct currently has just 3.87 square metres of public open space per resident. Without additional open space, this is projected to reduce to only 2.85 square metres per resident by 2036 as the population continues to grow.
The study also found that almost half of the catchment is located more than 400 metres from a local park, meaning many residents are not within a comfortable walking distance of publicly accessible open space. This is of particular concern in areas of high-density residential development where many people live in apartments and have limited or no private outdoor space.
Public open space is essential community infrastructure. Parks provide opportunities for recreation, exercise, children's play, relaxation, social connection and community events. They also contribute to physical and mental wellbeing, environmental sustainability and urban cooling.
The importance of accessible public open space was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when parks became vital places for exercise, recreation and social connection for people living in higher-density communities.
The expansion of Hume Street Park forms part of Council's long-term strategy to address the shortage of open space in the precinct and ensure current and future residents have access to the green spaces they need to support healthy and connected communities.
The project is happening now in response to housing development in the precinct. Developer contributions collected through development applications lodged before 1 October 2023 through the St Leonards and Crows Nest Special Infrastructure Contribution (SIC) have now been committed towards the project.
Funding provides a unique opportunity to realise a long-planned community project that will benefit current and future residents.
In addition, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure have agreed to project manage and deliver the park expansion on Council's behalf. This approach will reduce delivery risk, provide access to specialist project expertise and help ensure the project is delivered efficiently.
Importantly, it also allows Council to continue focusing its resources on addressing the significant infrastructure renewal challenges facing the broader community, including the renewal of ageing roads, footpaths, stormwater assets and community buildings.
The combination of dedicated funding, project delivery support and increasing demand for public open space means there is a strong opportunity to deliver this important piece of community infrastructure now.
Yes.
The expansion of Hume Street Park has been part of Council's strategic planning for the Crows Nest and St Leonards precinct for more than a decade.
In 2010, Council commenced a comprehensive planning process to manage future housing and employment growth in the area. The resulting St Leonards/Crows Nest Planning Study, adopted by Council in 2012 following extensive community consultation, identified the expansion of Hume Street Park as a key project to address the acute shortage of public open space in the precinct and support a growing population.
As part of that planning process, the relocation of Kelly's Place was identified as necessary to enable the park expansion.
The project has continued to be refined over time. Stage 1 of the expansion was completed in 2022, creating approximately 1,200 square metres of additional public space and establishing a key connection between Hume Street Park, Willoughby Road and the Crows Nest Metro precinct.
The need for additional open space has become even more important as population growth in the precinct has accelerated, with both Council and the NSW Government recognising that additional public open space is critical to supporting the growing community.
The expansion of Hume Street Park has been planned for more than a decade and has been delivered in stages due to the complexity of the project, funding availability and the need to coordinate with broader changes occurring within the precinct.
Stage 1 was completed in 2022 and delivered approximately 1,200 square metres of additional public open space. Progressing the next stage has required planning, funding commitments and project delivery arrangements, which are now in place through the partnership with the NSW Government.
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 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:
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.
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.
Community ideas and feedback
Draft concept designs prepared
Community consultation on concept designs
Final design completed
Construction
Expanded Hume Street Park opens to the community