Spectacular new park for Bondi

BY SHANT FABRICATORIAN
For visitors to Waverley’s Sam Fiszman Park, intent on enjoying a pleasant day out or admiring the magnificent views off the coast, the efforts devoted to its creation might not be at the forefront of their minds.

But for the proponents of the first major public park created in Waverley in over a decade, a recent swag of awards have vindicated the decision to redevelop the former car park at Ben Buckler Point.

With Waverley the most densely populated local government authority in Australia, Mayor Sally Betts said the park had particular importance to the local community. ‘More than 70 per cent of our residents live in flats or unit, terraces or townhouses and many don’t have their own garden, so open space is important,’she said.

Opened in 2007 by then-mayor George Newhouse as his last official duty prior to contesting the federal seat of Wentworth in that year’s federal election, Sam Fiszman Park is located close to Bondi Beach. It is famed for its ocean views and natural rock outcrops, and as a vantage point for whale spotting.

Mayor Betts said that various businesses involved in the project had won awards for their work. These included landscape architecture consultants 360°, which won the 2008 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects NSW award for excellence in Landscape Architecture; architect consultants McGregor Westlake Architecture, who were recognised in the 2008 NSW Australian Institute of Architecture Awards; and construction contractors Synergy Resource Management Pty Ltd, which took out Category One of the 2008 NSW Civil Contractors Federation Award.

According to Synergy, one of the park’s major features is its improved utilisation of urban-generated stormwater, with the site acting as a ‘detention cell’ for runoff. Synergy says that during high rainfall periods, stormwater from neighbouring streets is now channeled into agline, which lies beneath the porous decomposed granite gravel on the upper level of the park.

Named after a Polish immigrant who fought in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and then became an active contributor to the Australian community, the park utilises a series of terraces, steps, seats and walls to meet the challenges of the site’s level changes and allow visitors to fully enjoy the stunning views.