A $13 million state government injection has provided landscape architecture firm CONTEXT with the financial backing to craft Tench Reserve, a world-class riverside park located at Penrith in Sydney’s west.

Working alongside the NSW Government, CONTEXT devised a masterplan for the 10-hectare site, which is bordered by a river on each side, a motorway and numerous housing developments. Much of the design aligns with the City of Penrith's Nepean River Master Plan, overseen by Clouston Associates, which ensures connection to the community and the river itself.

The first stage, completed in February, transformed the riverside portion of the site, including the integration of a Changing Places amenity, accessible picnic areas and seating, inclusive play spaces, new pathways, native planting, and a public art installation by Cave Urban.

Tench Reserve CONTEXT

The second and final stage centres upon the wharf recreation precinct, with a boat ramp and amphitheatre constructed to boost community engagement and access to the Nepean River.

CONTEXT Director, Hamish Dounan, says conservation and community were the pillars of the practice’s design ethos.

“Our team worked with the NSW Government to consult industry and local experts on what design interventions would be suitable for this unique site. Speaking directly with the community and key local stakeholders, we collated their ideas and feedback which informed the development of our concept design and ultimately the final plan.”

Tench Reserve CONTEXT

“Collaborating with the state government on community-driven legacy projects like this, that will serve generations to come, is immensely rewarding. The NSW Government’s Parks for People Program is testament to the significance public open spaces play in all of our lives. We’re looking forward to delivering more projects within this initiative in the future.”

Indigenous design and strategy studio Balarinji were engaged to consult locally connected Aboriginal knowledge holders to help guide and inform the design framework, while broader community engagement was undertaken by JOC Consulting. Dounan regards this as crucial to the project’s outstanding outcomes.

“Our engagement with the local Indigenous community foregrounded opportunities for how the design could deepen the park’s sense of place and provide an understanding of the Aboriginal cultural and spiritual context of the site," he says.

Tench Reserve CONTEXT

“Collaborating with the state government on community-driven legacy projects like this, that will serve generations to come, is immensely rewarding. The NSW Government’s Parks for People Program is testament to the significance public open spaces play in all of our lives. We’re looking forward to delivering more projects within this initiative in the future.”

The Parks for People program is a commitment from the NSW Government to deliver high quality public open space across greater Sydney with two projects delivered, three in construction and two in final design stages preparing for delivery in 2024.

Further information about Tench Reserve can be found here.

Jarrod Reedie

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