The first “play” of the 20-year vision for Paul Keating Park will breathe new life into the much-loved green space with a new water-play feature, youth activities, play equipment, spaces for socialising and more.

Council will invest $5.5 million to transform the outdated play equipment and surrounding space into a much-needed open-space destination at the heart of the new Bankstown CBD.

Mayor Khal Asfour said he was thrilled to see the first part of the Paul Keating Master Plan take off.

“The vision for Paul Keating Park is very exciting and it’s great to see we’re delivering projects that will give our City the best parks, the best destinations – we deserve no less,” he said.

“That $5.5 million is going to be put to good use because we have one of the biggest populations in Sydney and we’re also going to see thousands of students pour into Western Sydney University by 2022.

“We have a unique opportunity to plan side-by-side with infrastructure projects like the WSU Campus and the new Metro Station which means better designs that make sense and a better outcome for residents.”

A new bathroom amenity and inclusive playspace will upgrade the park for many families and dedicated event provisions will upgrade the local park for festivals and markets.

New night-time lighting will be planned to provide new Western Sydney University students and the community with a safe and usable space.

Other upgrades for the eastern side of Paul Keating Park include more shade and seating as well as sustainability features to use storm water to water plants and green. Design concepts will also seek to accommodate the large trees already on site.

A tender for the design concept for the amenities and playspace at Paul Keating Park will be released in June 2021.

Mayor Khal Asfour said he looked forward to seeing the detail of the plans later this year.

“We’re in early days yet, but I’m enthusiastic about the designs which will provide for the next 20-years of Paul Keating Park.”

The $5.5 million grant came from the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program which looks to improve high-quality open spaces of long-term value.

The Paul Keating Park Master Plan outlines the 20-year vision for the iconic park and was finalised in December 2020 after extensive community consultation.