Back to the future

Canada Bay Council, Sydney Water and the Parramatta River Catchment Group have collaborated to reopen an historic swim site along the Parramatta River in Concord.

By April 2021 there will be a new swim site along the Parramatta River in Sydney’s inner west after City of Canada Bay revealed plans to re-establish a swimming spot at Bayview Park in Concord.

Mayor, Angelo Tsirekas, said, “This is a real coup for residents who live in western Sydney and the inner west. 

“People will no longer need to commute far outside of their area to cool off during the summer months.”

Bayview Park had been a popular swim site from as early as the 1930s before its closure in 1969.

Since then, local councils including the City of Canada Bay have been working with the Parramatta River Catchment Group and Sydney Water to help remediate and revitalise the river.

Sydney Water has been testing the water quality at Bayview Park as part of their Riverwatch program, with the data collected over the last 12 months indicating the site is safe for swimming. The site will continue to be monitored under the program to ensure water quality remains optimal.

Parramatta River Catchment Group Chair, Councillor Mark Drury, said, “Our work is about returning a valued asset to the hundreds of thousands of people who live along the Parramatta River’s foreshore and its surrounds.

“The project at Bayview Park is a testament to the hard work of many councils and organisations to improve the water quality of the Parramatta River.”

Facilities will include a swimming safety net and outdoor shower. Construction on the $300,000 project will commence in January 2021 following community consultation which occurred in August and September this year.