By Sam McKeith and Samantha Lock, AAP
A key national park in inner Sydney will add nearly five hectares of bushland under plans to marry high-density housing development with green space.
Completion of a major park in one of Sydney’s most densely populated suburbs is a step closer, with the NSW government expanding it by almost five hectares.
The “rare native bushland” will be added to Wolli Creek Regional National Park as part of a $13 million budget commitment, the state government said on Friday.
Labor has committed to completing the park project, first launched in 1998, by acquiring outstanding land pockets, and protecting bushland in Sydney’s south.
Premier Chris Minns said completing the park – one of the great hidden gems of Sydney – had been put off for decades.
“Not many people know that it’s here, it’s surrounded by suburbia, and it’s absolutely beautiful,” he told reporters in Sydney on Friday,
“You can walk from a metropolitan street or catch a train not far from the city, and within minutes be by yourself in what looks like the middle of a national park.”
Mr Minns said the government’s housing and green space agenda would work together.
“We can’t just build houses, we’ve got to build world class beautiful parks and that means preserving every bit of green space that we can possibly get our hands on.
“If we’re going to ask people to live in apartments and units then we need to provide green space for them to spend time with their family and friends.”
The new land had been transferred from the Office of Strategic Lands to the Canterbury Bankstown council, the government said.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe described the park as an “urban oasis” providing rare and crucial habitat for more than 460 plant and animal species.
“This is really about bringing a world class regional park, right here in the middle of Sydney,” she said.
Managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the park is located about 13km from the city centre.
