Community

The Sydney Water team at MGP have been busy working on several community projects, including Civic Park in Bankstown, Perry Park in Alexandria and the GreenWay for Inner West Council.

The GreenWay is an environmental and active travel (non-motorised) corridor linking the Cooks River at Earlwood with the Parramatta River at Iron Cove. Featuring bike paths, footpaths, cultural and historical sites, cafes, bush care sites and a range of parks, playgrounds and sporting facilities. MGP are currently involved with the design of Sydney Water infrastructure and approval process, to ensure the new corridor building works have no impact on existing Sydney Water infrastructure and improve Sydney Water services to new and existing facilities on the corridor.

The Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park can be found at the intersection of the main avenues crossing the park. The fountain, by French sculptor Francois Sicard, commemorates the association between Australia and France in World War 1. It draws its themes from Greek antiquity and is an important example in Sydney of 1920-30’s Art Deco.

The fountain is approximately 18 metres in diameter and is in the shape of a hexagon. The mythical figures and animals sit amongst the fountain spray and jets creating a stunning water sculpture in Hyde Park.

Corrosion of the existing pipe work, along with old pumps and filters meant that the fountain not only required extensive repair work but also an upgrade to meet safety standards. MGP and Water Features Australia were engaged to complete the work. A new pump, water quality control, pipes and filters were designed by MGP and installed by Water Features Australia.

MGP were proud to be part of the design team that worked on the new all-inclusive kids playground, at Ollie Webb Reserve in Parramatta.

The $1.8 million regional-size playground, which received $300,000 of funding from the NSW Government’s Stronger Communities Fund, provides a place for children of all ages and all abilities to enjoy year round. 

The playground features a large variety of activities and equipment; sand and water play areas, sensory equipment, explorer dome (a maze of nets, ropes, ladders and tunnels), along with the inclusion of wide embankment slides, accessible carousel and sand pit, water play elements and a supportive swing. 

The landscape architecture team at Phillips Marler designed this unique space in Paperbark Park, MGP completed the hydraulic services for the playground.

The site proposed a number of challenges; its location in the centre of a park meant there were no existing water or drainage facilities. MGP provided a design solution to facilitate the supply and removal of water to meet Council standards.

MGP have been involved with numerous Northern Beaches Council projects over the last 15 years, involving amenities blocks, surf clubs, parks and recently a marine building and rugby club.

Nominated onto the Northern Beaches Consultancy Services Panel, our most recent of the projects included;

Mona Vale Surf Club

MGP were involved in the Sydney Water approval and design of new services for the new Mona Vale Surf Clubhouse and the adjacent amenities block in Apex Park, which included public toilets, along with the Lifeguard observation deck and facilities.

2023 NSW Architecture Awards Winner of The Robert Woodward Award – Mona Vale Beach Amenities & Lifeguard Facility by Warren and Mahoney.

Marine Rescue Building at Rowland Reserve, Bayview: The original building was built over two decades ago using repurposed demountable structures. The new building will provide all the requirements for Emergency Operations and accessibility.

MGP have been working closely with the team at Northern Beaches Council to ensure compliance with the hydraulic design, a sustainable footprint, with solar heating and rainwater reuse, and effective services for the new building.

Little Manly Point provides not only a lovely park for locals but for visitors to the area. Located on the harbour it is a popular fishing spot, along with a kids playground, BBQs and grassy areas for all age groups to enjoy. Northern Beaches Council identified the need for an amenities block, as the only facilities were located at Little Manly beach. MGP worked with Northern Beaches Council on the design of the hydraulic services for the new amenities block.  

Collaroy Beach Amenities: As part of the Collaroy Beach Masterplan, a new public amenities building was constructed, alongside Collaroy ocean pool, replacing the existing steps and construction of a ramp and footpath leading from Beach Road to the existing promenade.

The new amenities building, accessible from the promenade, was constructed within the existing rock face with the promenade frontage lined with aluminium screening and consists of two fully accessible toilets. The new accessible ramp was been cut into the cliff face and leads from Beach Road to a viewing platform on the roof of the new amenities structure.

MGP were engaged for the hydraulic design (sanitary drainage) for the amenities block, along with the Sydney Water Building Plan Approval.

Porter Reserve Clubhouse, is the home of the Newport Rugby Club and is popular during the winter sports’ season for rugby training, games and gala days. MGP worked closely with Northern Beaches Council, providing the hydraulic and stormwater design services for the new amenities building.

The new amenities building will sit next to the existing Clubhouse and will support the community’s recreational needs and the Council’s commitment to support the growth of female participation in sport. The new building will include a female change room, first aid room, unisex accessible toilet, canteen, and covered BBQ area.

MGP continues to enjoy a good working relationship with the team at Northern Beaches Council. 

The Hills Shire Council will be delivering five (5) additional sports complexes in Box Hill, servicing most major sports, in line with their official recreational strategy to support the growing community and the demand for sporting services.

MGP worked with Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects and The Hills Shire Council on the redevelopment of Water Lane Reserve and Brindle Parkway Reserve.

Our involvement includes the hydraulic design services along with Sydney Water certification.

The Water Lane Reserve will provide facilities for AFL as the nominated winter sport and athletics as the nominated summer sport, as well as catering for informal uses of the parkland for the benefit of the general community. The site will also include spectator seating, amenities buildings, car parking, and landscaping.

Brindle Parkway Reserve will offer two full-sized playing fields with cricket wickets, along with amenities buildings, sports field lighting, playgrounds, internal recreation pathway networks and car parking.

Goodwin MGP, our water feature design team, designed a series of beautiful water gardens for Bayside Council. Rockdale Park’s new water gardens opened to the public in 2021.

Bayside Council commissioned Goodwin MGP to redesign an old 1970s concrete stream that had been inoperable since 2003 into a stunning new array of pools, streams, weirs and water plants.

Three new shallow pools and two stream sections form the new arrangement with a recirculating streamflow and filtration system. Rainwater runoff from the upper lawn areas of the park is able to flow into the pools and run off to surface via the lower pool spillway. The inclusion of reed and waterlily plants makes the system a living water feature. The reeds act as filters to incoming surface water.

The Park is known for its wedding use, and the new water gardens have been designed to accommodate these events, providing photogenic opportunities and idyllic areas for group photos.

For all other times it provides beautiful reflective pools and a peaceful bubbling stream sound for general recreation.

All architecture, hydraulics and electrical design was completed by Goodwin MGP. Structural engineering was completed by M & G Structural Engineer