Community insights shaping our planning
To inform our planning, Greater Sydney Parklands invited community and stakeholders to have their say in the development of a new plan of management for Callan Park through a range of engagement opportunities between April and 30 June 2024.
Our engagement was seeking to understand what the community values about Callan Park and what opportunities there are for the future.
The engagement process and was developed in line with Greater Sydney Parkland’s Consultation and Engagement Framework.
Communicating opportunities to provide input
To ensure we heard a diverse range of insights from community and stakeholders, Greater Sydney Parklands widely promoted the opportunity for people to have their say to inform a draft plan of management for Callan Park. Throughout the engagement period there were:
- 3,565 webpage views
- electronic direct message to 1,585 recipients
- 134,086 people reached on social media
- postcards delivered to 11 surrounding suburbs
- posters displayed at 6 locations within Callan Park
- promotion by Inner West Council, Canada Bay Council and the local member.
Hearing a full range of views from a diverse community
We engaged with more than 2000 people in a variety of ways:
- 1,771 online survey responses
- 60 attended 2 pop-ups
- 71 participants attended 4 workshops
- 32 participants engaged in 3 online discussions
- 33 participants from government agencies, partners and industry representatives attended 4 meetings
- 118 online submissions were received
- artworks were completed by children from a local primary school.
What people value about Callan Park
Analysis of all the feedback received allowed us to better understand what people most value about Callan Park. The things people value most are shown below:
- large, green open spaces
- a peaceful and tranquil place
- views to the water
- new amenities including the picnic tables and seating, the new toilet block at Waterfront Green
- it's history and heritage including the buildings and landscape
- significant mental health history
- public space for the community that's not commercialised
- a place for dogs and their owners
- space for a range of sports
- nooks and hideaways
- a place to hang out with family and friends
- remnant vegetation and wildlife
Key themes identified
Feedback received from our engagement shows the community has a diversity of views for the future of Callan Park. While some views are conflicting, most people really value Callan Park and would like to see it evolve to recognise the park's history, preserve its natural beauty, and offer a diverse range of recreational activities for everyone to enjoy.
The following key themes were identified by participants:
The community has a deep appreciation of Callan Park's cultural heritage and a desire for its preservation. People would like the rich history of the park recognised, including its use by First Nations people, its use as a site of recovery for war veterans, and its role as a place of mental health care. People would like to see heritage buildings and landscapes protected and restored, including the formal gardens that were designed with the health institutions.
People value Callan Park's diverse landscapes and ecologies, and the opportunity to connect with nature. There is a strong desire to see this natural environment protected and enhanced, with many advocating for the preservation of existing trees and vegetation, the planting of more native species, and the creation of wildlife habitats. Many people also emphasised the importance of maintaining the "informal wildness" of the park's landscape, as opposed to excessive manicuring or development.
People value Callan Park’s open space as a "green oasis", "sanctuary", or "haven" within the busy urban environment that contributes positively to their health and wellbeing. They also value the park as a place to spend time and connect with friends and family.
People would like Callan Park to be a place where all types of recreation is supported. This includes areas for quiet relaxation, family friendly spaces for picnics and BBQs, areas for walking, jogging and cycling, areas for community sport and space for dogs and their owners.
People would like to see better amenities to support these activities including improved playing surfaces, shaded picnic tables and seating, additional toilets, drinking fountains and bins.
People told us buildings in Callan Park present a significant opportunity. People want a plan for dilapidated or unsafe buildings to be safely removed, those with heritage value restored and those that are functional transformed into spaces for community use.
Opportunities suggested for the buildings included arts and cultural activations, community and health services, food and beverage offerings, historical tours and exhibitions, hireable community spaces, community programs and recreational activities and affordable housing.
People would like Callan Park to be a safe, accessible, and well-connected park that prioritises pedestrians and cyclists. The community want to see improved pathways, reduced car traffic, and better separation between different modes of travel. Many express concerns about pedestrian safety, particularly regarding speeding cars and limited footpaths. There's also a desire for better signage and wayfinding to help people navigate the park and improve public transportation options to reduce reliance on cars.
People expressed a strong desire to participate in and attend community and cultural activations in Callan Park, including programs and events. Some prefer smaller, informal and temporary activations, expressing concern about an influx of crowds and intense activity. Others envision Callan Park as a destination for larger events that welcome visitors from across Greater Sydney and beyond.
Some ideas for community and cultural activations included local markets and fetes, open air cinemas, live music concerts, exhibitions, cultural tours, arts and creative workshops, spaces for artists in-residence and arts spaces such as small production and performance spaces.
Many people spoke about retaining Callan Park as a community asset into the future and reflecting the requirements of the Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act 2002 in the Plan of Management. People also considered funding to be an ongoing barrier, highlighting the need to allocate funding to invest in the park. Some respondents wanted to see appropriate commercial activities in the park to help fund maintenance and operation into the future.
People want to see coordinated management of Callan Park between all relevant NSW government agencies. There was also a desire to see increased community involvement in decision making and opportunities to support the management of the park.