| GreenWay | |
|---|---|
| Length | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Location | Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Began construction | November 2022 |
| Completed | 14 December 2025 |
| Trailheads | Iron Cove (north) Cooks River (south) |
| Use | Walking Cycling |
| Maintained by | Inner West Council |
| Website | GreenWay — Inner West Council |
The GreenWay is a shared walking and cycling trail in Sydney's Inner West in New South Wales, Australia.
The GreenWay is intended to preserve a corridor for native wildlife and plants.
The full length of the track leads from the Cooks River in Earlwood to the Parramatta River and The Bay Run in Iron Cove. It follows the alignment of the former Long Cove Creek — now known as Hawthorne Canal. The trail follows the alignment of the L1 Inner West light rail which also served as the former Rozelle goods line. The full length of the trail takes 25 minutes to cycle or 75 minutes to walk.
The GreenWay fills in missing links with three new tunnels in Longport Road, Davis Street and Constitution Road, and has two new underpasses in Parramatta Road and New Canterbury Road.
It passes through the suburbs of Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Lewisham, Petersham, Leichhardt and Haberfield. The trail will also connect with the Sydney Metro Southwest line upon opening in late 2026.
History
[edit]Local residents realised in the mid-1990s that a greenway could be developed through the undeveloped land which he saw as a missing link near Hawthorne Canal, the idea had broad community support and was supported by the councils of Ashfield, Leichhardt, Marrickville, and Canterbury-Bankstown. The idea was inspired by a state government scheme in the late 1980s.[1][2]
In 2009, a masterplan was publicly released.[2] In 2010, the state Labor government allocated $37 million to complete the project.[1]
In 2011, state government transport minister Gladys Berejiklian scrapped funding for the GreenWay, claiming that the project was too expensive and citing poor planning decisions. She also claimed the project would delay the light rail extension to Dulwich Hill.[3][2]
In 2016, the state government and the Inner West Council both committed $7 million to resume the project. Before this, the project had only been allocated $14 million of funding for the missing links it joined.[4]
In 2018, another masterplan was released.[2]
In August 2022, the state government committed an additional $9.8 million towards the completion of the trail, by that point a part of the trail at Richard Murden Reserve in Haberfield was already completed and further construction was due to start by November. Along with this funding announcement, it was also announced that the council would be continuing with upgrades to the seawall at Dobroyd Point, a shared path through Richard Murden Reserve, shared paths through streets in Dulwich Hill, and a lighting upgrade at the Bay Run.[5]
By May 2025 the project was 80 percent complete.[6]
Delivery
[edit]The project was funded by the New South Wales state government, Inner West Council, and the federal government. The federal government contributed $6 million, the state government contributed $41 million, and Inner West Council funded the project with $11 million. The federal government's money will be used to build a tunnel under Old Canterbury Road. The project cost $57 million in total.[7]
Reception
[edit]Local residents have favourably compared the trail's layout to New York City's High Line.[7] The project has been heralded by the Inner West council's mayor Darcy Byrne, the transport minister of New South Wales John Graham, and the chief executive of Bicycle NSW Peter McLean.[1] Former Ashfield councillor Monica Wangmann criticised the decision to grow the light rail and allow for greater housing density rather than allowing the trail to flourish.[2] Premier Chris Minns has also praised the project.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Gorrey, Megan (13 December 2025). "'It's been 25 years in the making': The inner west's $57 million path is finally opening". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Ticher, Mike (6 December 2025). "The dream that grew into the GreenWay – a car-free corridor from Sydney Harbour to the Cooks River". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob (7 September 2011). "Light rail delayed, Greenway is canned". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Matt (30 June 2016). "Greenway for Sydney's inner west to become reality after $14m funding boost". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ Thomson, Angus (5 August 2022). "Funding boost for Bay Run to Cooks River connection". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ a b Cox, Lisa (9 May 2025). "Car-free green corridor connecting Cooks River to Sydney Harbour to open in 2025". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 26 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
- ^ a b O'Sullivan, Matt (14 December 2025). "Thousands flock to Sydney's version of New York High Line". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 14 December 2025. Retrieved 26 December 2025.