George Street is to be transformed as part of the draft budget. Photo: Katherine Griffiths / City of Sydney
Sydney City Council wants to spend almost $2.7 billion over 10 years on more open spaces, public amenities, urban facelifts and new facilities.
The spending plan is contained in its draft 2025-26 budget which was endorsed by council and is now open to public comment until June 9.
Big ticket items in the budget include a new Town Hall Square, waiving fees for outdoor dining and community groups booking venues, and boosting cleansing services.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says council is pulling all of its levers to improve the lives of the 1.25 million people who live and work in, and visit, the city every day.
“The City maintains a strong financial position with a responsible and sustainable operating and capital budget of more than $900 million for the coming financial year,” she explains.
“Our budget includes a program of capital works that will help us fulfil the demands of our changing and growing city centre and villages.”
NEW TOWN HALL SQUARE
An artistic concept of the new town hall public square. Concept: Gehl/City of Sydney.
Sydney City Council is to build a new $150m public square opposite Town Hall with construction to start in 2028.
Cr Moore says plans for a square outside Town Hall have been in the pipeline for more than 40 years.
Council, she says, has been buying properties opposite town hall to the point where it can now go ahead with construction.
“Like other major cities around the world, we need large, lively, welcoming civic spaces for the growing number of people living in and visiting Sydney,” she says.
The area between St Andrew’s Cathedral and the Town Hall will receive new paving, furniture and lighting to be installed in 2027.
The town hall public square is one of three planned for inner Sydney with squares at Circular Quay and Central station.
Details of the projected spending:
SERVICES
- $631m-plus on running and maintaining venues, parks and public spaces.
- $86m on cleansing and recovery including waste collection, street cleansing and removing illegally dumped goods.
- $68m to maintain infrastructure including footpaths, roads, parks, removing graffiti and more than 50,000 trees.
- waive outdoor dining fees, maintain community facilities, increase open spaces and accelerate plans to reduce carbon emissions.
CAPITAL WORKS
More than $276m will be spent on more than 400 projects over the next year such as:
- $12.7m to upgrade lighting and power in Hyde Park.
- $11.4m to add 6300 square metres of extra space to Gunyama Park involving a new skate park, First Nations learning circle, new playground, seating and picnic tables.
- $10.4m to repair and landscape the Sydney Park brick kilns.
- $10.4m on a new Huntley Street public recreation and sports centre in Alexandria.
- $9.2m to complete the pedestrianisation of George Street north and fully pedestrianise the street from Circular Quay to Central station.
- $8.5m to make Crown Street more pedestrian and cycle accessible.
- $5.8m on the Dixon Street renewal project.
- $5.2m to improve the Primrose Avenue Quietway cycleway in Rosebery.
- $5.1m to develop Green Square Public School and community spaces.
GRANTS AND EVENTS
More than $29 million will be spent on grants and in-kind support including:
- $13m on creative and food support grants, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. collaboration fund, homelessness services and more.
- $10.9m on community accommodation grants and value-in-kind support.
- $5.1m to sponsor festivals and events like Sydney Festival and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
- $38m-plus to be spent major events including Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Lunar Festival and Sydney Streets festival series.
“Despite the pandemic and recovery challenges over the last five years, the city maintained a healthy financial position,” Moore says.
LONG-TERM PROJECTS
- $185m to upgrade Sydney Square and a new Town Hall Square.
- $78m for a new multi-purpose sports fields and centre at Alexandria.
- $73.5m to redevelop the Bay Street cleansing, waste and civil maintenance depot.
- $38m to build the Green Square to Ashmore connector (Ngamuru Avenue).
- $25m to restore Paddington Town Hall.
- $13.4m on Waterloo Oval and Park.
After public comment, the budget will be considered by Council for final adoption on June 23.
For more details or to have a say, visit sydneyyoursay.com.au
