Infrastructure In The Inner City
The inner city has seen some major developments in recent years with more in the pipeline.
From Westconnex and the Metro Rail to Alexandria’s hip, new late-night cultural precinct, we take a look at some of the new infrastructure transforming the inner city.
Central to Eveleigh
The new Central to Eveleigh precinct is set to transform Waterloo, Redfern, Eveleigh, and surrounds. Multiple government agencies are working together on the planning and coordination of the new precinct, which is set to deliver some exciting new public spaces and community facilities. Among them, more walking and cycling connections and a world-class technology and innovation precinct.
Late night trading and Alexandria’s new cultural precinct
Alexandria and the inner city have seen a lot of exciting developments in the last year. Not the least of which being initiatives geared toward the creation of a diverse late-night city culture, capable of rivaling that of other great international cities. These include extended 24-hour trading across the CBD; new late-night trading areas in Barangaroo and Green Square; and a brand-new cultural precinct in a formerly industrial part of Alexandria.
New inner-city schools
The inner city is home to some of NSW’s most highly rated high schools. In 2020 a brand new school, Inner City High School, will open on Cleveland Street in Surry Hills on the former Department of Education site. The new school will comprise 14 storeys and accommodate up to 1,200 students from Years 7 to 12. Not far away in Alexandria, the redevelopment of Alexandria Park Community School will include a new school for students aged Kindergarten through Year 12 with expanded facilities and capacity.
Westconnex
Although controversial, once completed Westconnex will change the inner city, bringing benefits to Sydney residents through its increased transport infrastructure. Dubbed “the biggest infrastructure project in Australian history”, WestConnex aims to ease Sydney’s road congestion through 33-kilometres of new, mostly underground motorway.
CBD and South East Light Rail
The, at times beleaguered, Sydney Light Rail project is now well under construction. The new 12km route will better connect the inner city, extending from Circular Quay along George Street to Central Station and travelling through Surry Hills to Moore Park, Randwick and Kingsford.
Sydney Metro
Billed as Australia’s biggest public transportation project, Sydney Metro will bring many new rail transport options to the inner city through new underground city stations. By 2024, Sydney will have 31 metro railway stations and a 66km standalone metro railway system, dramatically changing the way Sydneysiders travel.
Central Station redevelopment
Central Station is Sydney’s busiest transport interchange, serving suburban and intercity rail services, country and interstate coaches, suburban buses, and light rail services. As of this year, Central Station is also an interchange point for the CBD and South East Light Rail line, while from 2024 it will be an interchange station for the Sydney Metro. As many commuters know all too well, navigating the station can be frustrating. A proposed initiative is looking at upgrades to the rail and station infrastructure to better support passenger movement.
Active transport and walking
With the cost of congestion in Sydney expected to skyrocket to $15 billion in 2031, thanks to a growing population and increasingly centralised workforce, Infrastructure Australia is exploring new ways to ease pressure on Sydney’s most congested urban roads within 10km of the CBD. A proposed initiative would create a network of 284km of dedicated cycling and shared cycling/walking paths on existing radial and cross-regional corridors within a 10 km radius of the CBD.
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