The Heritage Precinct is made up 135 hectares of state owned lands including the Old Kings School, Parramatta Park, Pirtek Stadium, Female Factory, Norma Parker Correctional Facility, Cumberland Hospital and Parramatta Gaol.
The Master Plan aims to reposition Parramatta as an exemplar of heritage driven tourism. Increased tourist spend will be a boom for businesses in Parramatta.
Since the Premier’s announcement, UrbanGrowth NSW has undertaken a comprehensive review of the site and recently commenced the community consultation phase of the project.
Consultation raises important considerations such as the need to balance heritage preservation and economic opportunity, urban renewal and the future needs of Parramatta as a growing city.
Through urban activation we could build a new residential precinct in North Parramatta. This would service the needs of professionals working in Parramatta’s CBD and Westmead Medical Precinct.
We can build a new community in the heart of North Parramatta – within walking distance of work, entertainment, sport and recreational venues.
The Heritage Precinct should offer the balance between quality residential living, proximity to good jobs and a cosmopolitan lifestyle.
I see parallels between the Parramatta heritage precinct and the world renowned Boston Heritage Trail which attracts over four million tourists a year. A rejuvenated Parramatta could be a drawcard for millions of visitors.
The growth in Parramatta’s tourism industry would complement the Blue Mountains that is already worth an estimated $600 million annually.
As Boston is to New York, Parramatta is to Sydney - not competing but complementary cities. Boston is the 6th largest financial district in the USA.
Similarly, Parramatta as the Capital of Western Sydney has the potential to be known as a heritage city alongside its existing strong financial, legal and commercial sectors.
Repositioning Parramatta as a heritage city makes sense, as one of Parramatta’s competitive advantages is having the largest collection of Early European and Colonial buildings in Australia.
The refurbishment and adaptive use of these assets provides a unique opportunity to drive tourism to make Parramatta a ‘must-see’ attraction for visitors.
If the Heritage Precinct was easy to do, it would have been done by now. Over the past three decades there have been more than 20 different proposals and studies for different parts of the Precinct.
The reality is that there are nine government departments across eight Ministries that have interests in the site.
Each Ministry has their own needs and responsibilities that need to be accounted for in any future development considerations.
So it’s good news that the Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard has directed UrbanGrowth NSW to take the lead to co-ordinate the range of government stakeholders.
Most importantly, we need the funds to restore the buildings to create the Heritage Precinct – early estimates of restoration costs have come in at $125 million. The precinct must be financially sustainable in order to enable heritage preservation.
Industry and community consultation forums have commenced and it’s important that all stakeholders get their input into the Master Plan.
We want as many people as possible to contribute to the Master Plan. If you are interested in finding out more or contributing to this strategically important project go to www.urbangrowthnsw.com.au
When we think about Parramatta we need to think about the future that we want. Ultimately, the aim of the master plan is to deliver a revitalised heritage precinct through urban transformation – creating a new cosmopolitan heart that will be a major destination for Western Sydney.
