04 May 2016
Earlier this year we announced that 11 parks and green spaces in
Australia and New Zealand have been awarded the Green Flag Award
and they were the first awards to be announced during the
20th anniversary.
One of the parks that have been awarded their very first Green
Flag Award is Pirrama Park, which is in the Sydney suburb of
Pyrmont. The site was formerly a base for the water police. The
city of Sydney acquired the site in 2005 to build a park.
Pirrama Park incorporates numerous environmentally sustainable
features including solar panels, rain water capture and re-use,
energy efficient lighting, timber decking, pathways and nature play
features made from recycled materials.
The park is a 1.8 hectare harbourside space which hosts a wide
range of attractions including BBQs and picnic facilities, a
sheltered bay with recreational water access, a boating pontoon,
public art installations, café kiosk and a playground.
The park also has a playground area that includes a wheelchair
accessible roundabout, sand-pits, climbing nets, swings and a water
play area. The park attracts local residents and many tourists from
near and far.
Since it opened in 2009 the park has won a variety of
prestigious awards including the Australian Institute of Landscape
Architecture NSW Medal in 2010, the Walter Burley Griffin Award for
Urban Design also in 2010, the Master Builders Association Award
for Excellence in Construction and of course most recently, the
Green Flag Award.
Innovative public art installations capture the attention of
park visitors and highlight environmental issues. For example the
recent Blue Trees living artwork by artist Konstantin Dimopoulos,
which draws the attention of park visitors to deforestation by
turning the park's living breathing trees a vivid bright blue.
Parks and Recreation Planner, Mark Driver, said: "Participation
in the Green Flag Awards is highly motivational for our team of
staff and contractors whose dedication ensures that Pirrama Park
continues to meet the expectations and diverse needs of residents
and visitors".