Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is Council upgrading Majors Bay Reserve?

• Majors Bay Reserve is a key recreation site in the City of Canada Bay, with thousands of people visiting each month to play sport and enjoy passive recreation.

  By 2036, the City of Canada Bay’s population is forecast to grow by almost 30,000 people — an increase of around 30 per cent.

  Council’s role is to make sure green spaces such as Majors Bay Reserve can provide amenity for our growing community into the future. As such, Council has sought funding to upgrade this important park and create a space that everyone in our community can enjoy.

  Strategically, this project aligns with our Recreation and Open Space Strategy which can be reviewed here on the project page.

• How is the project being funded?

• The project has received $4.75 million funding from NSW Government Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) Public Spaces Legacy Program to undertake these upgrades.

• Why is Council upgrading some areas and not others?

• The funding for this project is focussed on developing opportunities for passive recreation within the park. There are some plans for sporting facilities (e.g. Arthur Walker Reserve Amenity) that have been included in these plans as they have been identified as in urgent need of upgrading.

  Council understands that there is a need to update the wider plan for the park. As part of this consultation, we are happy to receive suggestions and ideas for the wider park outside of the passive recreation upgrades proposed.

  All feedback received during this consultation will be tabled and considered in the preparation of the Majors Bay Reserve Masterplan.

• When will the final and approved works begin and be completed by? What disruptions should we expect?

• A full timeline can be viewed on the project page here.

  Pending the outcome of the consultations, we hope to go to tender in August/September for the construction contract.

  Again, pending the outcomes of the consultation, we believe works may begin in October and hopefully finish by June 30 2023. Sections of the park will remain open throughout the construction period. Areas under construction will have security fencing and alternate access.

• What play equipment will be included in the park?

• Council intends on using a range of equipment in the park from structured play items to more natural obstacles to play on. In addition, council will also include gym and exercise equipment. Council will seek community input on selection of equipment in future community engagements.

• Why is the entry road being widened?

• The traditional access to Majors Bay Reserve met the requirements in the 1970s, however with the increase in traffic into the park upgrading the road access will provide safer access for all.

• What is happening with the parking in the park?

• Council intends on maintaining the existing parking facilities around the site of the old Concord RSL, soon to be the Concord Club. The less frequently used overflow carparking near the baseball diamonds will be upgraded to the youth zone including bike jump and pump tracks and multi-use courts.

  Additional parking of 35 spaces will be added to the Eastern end of the park to assist the public to park closer to the shelters and mangrove boardwalks.

  A study of the areas parking availability was conducted when developing the Masterplan and can be found here on page 20.

• Will the dog off-leash area be fenced?

• Council plans to allow specific times early in the morning and late afternoon where dogs can run freely off-leash. All other times, dogs in main park will be required to remain on their leashes.

  At other times of the day where the park is in high use, it is proposed to provide a fenced dog enclosure for off-leash dog activity.

  The community's feedback will help us understand the best way to manage off-leash dog activity in the park.

• What are all the new paths for?

• Councils Foreshore Access Strategy aims to provide equal access to all areas wherever possible. Our Landscape Architects have given considerable thought to the way people move through the park regardless of the individual’s modality.

• Why are we including buffer planting for properties that back onto the parkland?

• To provide additional privacy for these residents.

• What is the purpose of the access ramp from the carpark to Arthur Walker Reserve?

• Council is committed to making all areas of the park accessible for the full community including those with mobility issues.

• What is planned for Arthur Walker Reserve amenity?

• Arthur Walker Reserve is a community cricket field and Council intends on replacing the cottage amenity building that was lost to fire.

• What are the proposed upgrades to the Ron Routley cricket amenity?

• The existing amenity at Ron Routley Oval services Football, Cricket and Council. The age of the amenity is such that a new amenity is being planned to service the existing users of the facility.

• What is the mangrove boardwalk?

• The mangrove boardwalk runs from the sea wall edge, through the mangroves out into the bay. The purpose of the boardwalk is to engage the community with the environmental aspects of the mangrove ecosystem and to connect the public to the bay.

  Specialised ramps will allow for kayak docking. This will bring Majors Bay into a paddle trail in Sydney’s western harbour.

Glossary of terms

• What is a “Changing Places Amenity”?

• A Changing Places amenity allows people with high support needs to fully participate in the community. This may include people with an acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, and motor neurone disease, as well as many other people with a disability.

  Changing Places facilities provide:

  • a height-adjustable adult-sized change table
  • a constant-charging ceiling track hoist system
  • a centrally-located peninsula toilet
  • circulation spaces as defined in the design specifications
  • an automatic door with a clear opening of 950 mm at a minimum
  • a privacy screen.
• What is a bicycle service point?

• Bicycle service point is a shelter with a specialised stand/vice and bench to assist in emergency cycle repairs.

• What is family play with tower?

• This play zone is the main structured play centre for the park. It will include a high tower (iconic custom hero element) to allow children see the expanse of Majors Bay and tall enough to see over the mangroves to see the waterway. This play area will be inclusive and align with the NSW Everyone can play! Guideline, and Council's own Let's All Play strategy.

• What is Parkour?

• Parkour is the act of moving from point “a” to point “b” using the obstacles in your path to increase your efficiency.

• What is a Pump Track?

• A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders "pumping"— generating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedalling or pushing. It was originally designed for the mountain bike and BMX scene, and now, due to concrete constructions, is also used by skateboard, and accessible to wheelchairs. Pump tracks are relatively simple to use and cheap to construct, and cater to a wide variety of rider skill levels

• What is a Jump Track?

• These facilities are designed for more experienced bicycle riders, often with technical jumps and large gaps between take off and landings.

• What is Adventure Play?

• An adventure playground is a specific type of playground for children. Adventure playgrounds can take many forms, ranging from "natural playgrounds" to "junk playgrounds", and are typically defined by an ethos of unrestricted play, and the absence of manufactured or proprietary rigid play structures.