Parramatta Light Rail awarded prestigious Banksia Award for Placemaking

The Banksia Awards are one of the longest running and most prestigious sustainability awards in Australia, and have been running for 34 years, recognising, and promoting the positive effects of sustainable actions. Parramatta Light Rail Stage One was recently awarded the Banksia National Sustainability Award in the Category of Placemaking, acknowledging the thoughtful sustainability, resilience and innovation approaches that have enabled the project to connect communities through a sense of place.

According to the Banksia Foundation website: “By exceeding employment targets to achieve social outcomes, considering and preserving local heritage in design, consulting with stakeholders and the community to inform decision-making, integrating heritage and Aboriginal cultural interpretation, using a wire-free design in sensitive environments, and providing active transport links to improve health and connectivity, the project continues to demonstrate a true legacy-leaving project.”

Graeme Steverson, Technical Director of Planning and Mobility was working on the project along with WSP colleagues Scott Ney and Camden Fitzgerald in 2012. He recalls how connecting communities was front and centre even then.

"In the early stages of planning, we highlighted the importance of linking the adjacent employment hubs of Westmead, North Parramatta, Camellia and Rydalmere to the Parramatta CBD to form one big economic hub. As a result, this project will see three campuses of Western Sydney University directly connected. This is just one of many examples of what a game changer Parramatta Light Rail will be for Western Sydney in terms of public transport accessibility and integration with land use”.

Parramatta Light Rail was further recognised by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council earlier this year, for outstanding achievement in sustainability leadership.

“WSP is committed to creating great places and delivering social value through all of our projects, and this has been embraced by our partners and the end client on this project, creating a fantastic opportunity to deliver for the Parramatta community that is now being recognised.” Says Charlie Jewkes, Director of Transport, Advisory, and Water at WSP.

With increased transit oriented development on the horizon for New South Wales, and plans for Parramatta Light Rail Stage Two now approved, placemaking and sustainability remain key elements of any major transport project which aims to deliver value for the community.

Click to read more about the Parramatta Light Rail project.