NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Callan Park Landscape Structure Plan consultation
Callan Park is a much-loved and unique open space on the foreshore of the Parramatta River, inner west of Sydney. Covering 61 hectares, the park is rare generous size for the area, featuring varied landscapes from gardens to native bushland, significant Aboriginal sites and artefacts, sporting fields. It also houses variety of heritage buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries that reflect Callan Park’s previous use as a hospital and mental health facility.
After decades of attempted plans, strategies, master plans and community consultation, a Landscape Structure Plan for Callan Park was endorsed and funded by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in January 2021, to guide Callan Park’s revitalisation as an iconic urban parkland.
This was an incredible win for the community of the inner-west of Sydney, who’d tirelessly advocated for Callan Park’s protection and investment in it, to ensure it remained a public asset, with its heritage preserved for decades.
Cred was engaged by the Department to assist in providing strategic advice around communicating the intent of the Draft LSP ahead of it going on public exhibition. We provided advice around the language, format and structure of the draft LSP, prior to the draft being finalised for public exhibition. Cred helped to de-risk the document.
Working with the Department and the Tyrell and Terroir landscape architect teams, Cred was also engaged to design, deliver and report on community and stakeholder engagement to understand the level of support for the vision for Callan Park, and the two strategic moves proposed to achieve the vision.
The engagement was a crucial step for the government, and needed to be accepted to be a genuine process by the community for trust in the LSP to be built.
