Campbell’s Cove Promenade

Campbell’s Cove promenade, running along Sydney’s ‘cultural ribbon’ from the Botanic Gardens to Darling Harbour, is one of the sites that had been identified by the NSW Government for ongoing investment to protect and enhance heritage assets along the Sydney Harbour foreshore to increase accessibility, connect seamlessly with other tourist sites and provide more public space for hosting major events and festivals.

The government successfully partnered with the private sector to complete the $18 million project in less than 12 months. PWA managed the feasibility, briefing and mobilisation stages as well as providing management oversight on behalf of the clients, Place Management NSW and the Ports Authority of NSW. Safety on the unique, heritage-listed site on the water’s edge was challenging and had to be continuously monitored and managed because of the intense activity within the compressed adjacent sites.

The complex project involved lowering, levelling and widening the promenade to ten metres, and ten heritage sites of walls and roads, dating from the 1830s, which were uncovered, documented and preserved. The enhanced lighting and signage throughout the precinct, together with improved wheelchair accessibility, now encourages a greater flow of visitors to the area.

Our role

Currie & Brown provided project and programme management services and took the role of principal’s authorised person.

The biggest challenge was the maintenance of a site open to the public where and whenever possible. The constant moving of site fences, building of temporary ramps and corridors, and application of signage, enabled this. The team kept Events NSW constantly appraised of upcoming site activity and the required constraints for public and operational access.