Ballast Point Park Management Plan

Ballast Point Park (the Park) is located on Wangal Country at the end of Ballast Point Road, Birchgrove.  The 2.6 hectare parkland is bound by Mort Bay to the south and Snails Bay to the north-west.  

• Placemaking NSW (an agency within the NSW State Government) creates, manages and cares for many of Sydney’s unique iconic harbourside locations including Ballast Point Park.
• The NSW Government acquired the site in 2002 and is responsible for its ongoing care and management, including the protection and enhancement of natural and cultural heritage, under the Place Management NSW Act 1998.
• The waterfront areas to the south are under the jurisdiction of Transport for New South Wales (Maritime) (NSW State Government) who also lease the Jetty to Inner West Council (Local Government).
• Inner West Council governs the surrounding residential and recreation land, including Mort Bay Park.  

• Placemaking NSW is an agency with the NSW Government Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. 
• Placemaking NSW was previously known as the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. 
• The Placemaking NSW website includes more information about our work and projects.

• The Plan offers an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the Park since opening in 2009 and identify what Placemaking NSW can do to strengthen what has become a much-loved place for many people.  
• The Plan ensures the environmental, recreational, heritage, cultural and social values shared by the community and park users will be preserved and enhanced for generations to come.  
• In some instances, a Plan of Management is required under the NSW Local Government Act 1993 for ‘community land’ or under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 (NSW) after a park has been classified as ‘reserved’.  
• Neither classification applies to Ballast Point Park given its management under the Place Management NSW Act 1998, however the Draft Ballast Point Park Management Plan (this Plan) performs a similar purpose to provide strategic planning, clarify use and governance direction.

• The Plan is informed by engagement with the community and stakeholders. By understanding the community’s needs, we ensure this Plan responds to priorities that matter most to the people who use the Park regularly and contribute to its legacy.  
• In total, more than 500 people participated in community consultation for Ballast Point Park over 12 weeks in late 2023 and early 2024.  
• The community was engaged through a range of communication and engagement activities that asked for ideas and feedback to improve the Park. These activities included local pop-up booths, community workshop, submissions and online survey.  
• Download the Community Engagement Report prepared by JCO Consulting.

• The public exhibition period is an opportunity for the community to review and provide feedback on the Draft Ballast Point Park Management Plan before it is finalised.
• All feedback collected during the exhibition period will be reviewed and considered in the final Plan.
• A summary of consultation outcomes will be made available with the final Plan. 

• The Community Information Session is open to members of the public and provides an opportunity to learn more about the Draft Ballast Point Park Management Plan.
• Representatives from Placemaking NSW and JOC Consulting will present the Draft Ballast Point Park Management Plan and explain how it was developed. 
• Attendees will have the chance to ask questions and share feedback through the online survey or make a submission. 
• Attendees are invited to register prior to the event.

• Following the first stage of community consultation, Placemaking NSW undertook additional research and commissioned expert advice from Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultural heritage experts and ecological consultants.  
• Placemaking NSW has sought input from these technical advisors to ensure the Plan reflects best practices in heritage conservation, ecological sustainability and public use. 
• Download the Urban Ecology Report.
• Placemaking NSW also acknowledges the advice and work undertaken previously by Anton James Design, CAB Consulting, Context Landscape Design, Deuce Design, and McGregor Coxall.

• The Plan focuses on protecting the Park’s natural and cultural heritage while ensuring it remains a welcoming space for all visitors.  
• The Plan includes priorities that seek to:
  • Embed cultural management strategies to care for Country
  • Regenerate habitats and incorporate wildlife protection areas, infrastructure and habitat creation features
  • Review and introduce native plant species better suited to the Park’s ecology
  • Define designated dog on-leash and off-leash areas and provide a shared off-leash foreshore path to better connect with Mort Bay Park, while protecting sensitive vegetation
  • Improve accessibility and navigation within the Park
  • Provide more diverse seating options and review other facilities and amenities within the Park
  • Continue to maintain and interpret the Park’s industrial and Indigenous history 
• The Park will continue to be used primarily for passive recreation purposes but the Plan acknowledges the seasonal and temporary activations that also bring it to life on special occasions. 
• The Plan does not propose major structural changes but provides a framework to guide future management and improvements. 
• Placemaking NSW encourages the community to read the objectives, priorities and actions listed in the Plan for more information about the proposed management approach. 

• The Park is currently an on-leash area with adjacent Mort Bay Park available for off-leash exercise under the management and enforcement of Inner West Council.
• The NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 governs the effective and responsible care and management of companion animals across NSW including dogs. The Act sets out responsibilities for dog owners while their dog is in a public place which largely relate to the need for dogs to be under effective control at all times. It also identifies the ability to declare off-leash areas to allow for dog exercise and socialisation while establishing key areas where dogs are prohibited to balance community needs. 
• Most notably for Ballast Point Park these prohibited areas include:  
  • Children’s play areas 
  • Food preparation/consumption areas
  • Wildlife protection areas
• The Park is a popular place for pet owners needing space for dogs to walk and socialise, particularly given the Park’s high-density, inner-city location. At the same time, the Park has an increasing tree canopy and urban forest that attracts and supports wildlife important to the site and greater Sydney region.

• A new dog off-leash area is proposed to be introduced along part of the lower level of Ballast Point Park. 
• There is very strong community demand to extend the existing off-leash arrangements from Mort Bay Park into Ballast Point Park. Equally, there is a shared aspiration that the biodiversity and habitat potential of the Park be elevated to a level appropriate to its urban bushland role.
• Given the connected nature of the two parks, the proposed approach for Ballast Point Park considers how Inner West Council’s policy for Dog Off-Leash Areas in Parks applies to provide a continuous experience for dog walkers along the foreshore. 
• The off-leash area has been carefully determined to provide a suitable space for dogs and their owners to enjoy while balancing opportunities for flora and fauna to thrive. It will not be fenced or enclosed. 
• The proposed off-leash area has been defined based on the following characteristics:
  • It is a suitable distance from key wildlife protection areas and will have a low impact on existing habitat.
  • It is located away from children’s play areas.
  • It flows logically from the existing off-leash area in Mort Bay Park.
  • It is sensitively sized and located to ensure ample quality space is available in the Park for people who would prefer to enjoy the space away from dogs off-leash.