Marrinawi Cove Shuts For Safer Bigger City Beach This Summer

Just as Sydney heats up, its first harbour “city beach” in 50 years will close next week for a three-month upgrade at Barangaroo’s Marrinawi Cove. Government officials say the shutdown will deliver more space and safer access by December, just in time for peak summer crowds.

The site, which only opened to swimmers in 2023 after a decades-long ban, has become a magnet for Sydneysiders and visitors looking for a free dip in the heart of the city. Weekend crowds and lunchtime breaks quickly turned the pocket-sized cove into a crush, with swimmers jostling for towel space on the sandstone steps.

Three-month closure to upgrade Marrinawi Cove in time for summer

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, more than 500 swimmers gave feedback on overcrowding and slippery access, prompting the government to add timber decking, non-slip stairs and a relocated shark net. The swimming zone will also be expanded, and sandstone blocks shifted to make more room for towels and sunbathers.

Lands and Property Minister Steve Kamper said the popularity of Marrinawi Cove exceeded expectations.

“We couldn’t have anticipated just how popular swimming at Marrinawi Cove would become,” he told SMH. “These upgrades are about responding to that popularity and making sure the space is safe, accessible and enjoyable for everyone.”

Construction is fully funded through developer contributions, with the revamped site due to reopen by mid-December in time for the school holidays.

From packed sandstone steps to a safer and more accessible ‘city beach’

Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich welcomed the works, calling the cove “Sydney’s only city beach.”

“I’m excited to join tourists, office workers and Sydneysiders to jump in the water this summer and enjoy these community-led improvements,” he said.

The former Coalition government fast-tracked the cove’s opening in January 2023 with safety nets and signage, while the Minns Labor government now carries the job of upgrading it to cope with surging demand. Since then, community groups including the Millers Point Resident Action Group have lobbied for better accessibility and a larger swim zone.

Millers Point resident Yasmina Bonnet welcomed the changes, telling SMH that easier access would benefit older swimmers and those less mobile.

The government has flagged broader plans to expand access to the harbour foreshore, though a spokesperson confirmed there are no updates on earlier proposals for Nawi Cove, which sits in a busier section of the harbour alongside ferry routes.

Calls for more public harbour pools are growing, with the City of Sydney and local groups pushing for safe swimming zones at Pyrmont’s Pirrama Park, Elizabeth Bay’s Beare Park and Blackwattle Bay in Glebe.

Until then, Marrinawi Cove keeps its title as the only official swimming spot west of the Harbour Bridge in half a century, and locals will be counting down the days until they can dive back in.