0°C | Sunday February 1, 2026 
28 February 2023
Transport for NSW has handed North Sydney Council an ultimatum: accept an improved offer of $2.5 million state contribution to the upgrade of Bradfield Park and hand over the north section for its proposed bike ramp, or lose the money and face compulsory resumption of the site.
An extraordinary deadline was set in a letter from Transport for NSW Executive Director, Community & Place Steve Issa yesterday, demanding acceptance by the end of today (Tuesday). Council has convened an extraordinary general meeting tonight to consider the matter.
Issa was responding to a 24 February letter from Council general manager Therese Manns which rejected a previous offer of a $1.5 million contribution.
“The offer of $1.5 million in contributions towards Bradfield Park South is not commensurate with the impact to the local amenity within the only completed section of Bradfield Park North and will not make any significant headway in the broader masterplan for the park. I am therefore unable to accept this contribution on behalf of the council and community,” Manns wrote, adding that in her estimation the revamp of Bradfield Park overall would cost up to $35 million. The part of Bradfield Park affected by the proposed bike ramp was embellished in 2003 at a cost of just over $2 million.
Issa said in his letter that if Council did not provide an affirmative reply by the end of this month – that is, today – this “will delay the project by impacting key activities that were intended to be undertaken concurrently and we will need to progress the project via the State Significant Impact pathway. In this case, the proposed contribution of $2.5m towards improvements at Bradfield Park South would need to be re-directed to cover the additional time and costs associated with progressing the project via an State Significant Impact pathway. We would much prefer to see these funds directed towards community benefits.”
Issa’s letter effectively served as an ultimatum to council to accept the controversial linear ramp proposal, which would stretch across most of the north section of the park and disperse cyclists into Alfred St South near the Lavender St intersection. Local residents have commissioned their own “foldback” design, effectively confining its footprint to the small sporting area adjacent to the current bike stairs. This design has been rejected by the government.
Issa wrote: “Transport for NSW (Transport) is committed to working with Council and the community to deliver some truly exceptional and lasting benefits for residents, workers and visitors to North Sydney. The NSW Government has recently announced a new foreshore park at Berrys Bay, and an expansion of public open space at Lavender Bay. We also continue to work collaboratively with Council on the North Sydney Integrated Transport Program with the objective of delivering place based outcomes for the North Sydney CBD, aligned with Council’s vision.”
He continued: “These projects and others demonstrate a genuine effort and investment by NSW Government into place outcomes for North Sydney and importantly, the benefits we can continue to deliver for the community by working together. With the community front of mind, and to support further amenity, active transport and open space outcomes, Transport proposes a further contribution of $1 million towards Council’s planned improvements to Bradfield Park South, bringing our total proposed contribution to $2.5 million. These works, as detailed in the Concept Design Report by Occulus and endorsed by Council on 25 June 2018, would be subject to a Development Application and further engagement and design review by Transport to ensure the proposal aligns with Transport requirements, including the protection of key transport assets at this location. Our contribution towards these works could be made via a grant or works in kind, subject to a funding deed, depending on Council’s preference.”
He concluded: “You are aware that we are urgently seeking confirmation of Council’s agreement to provide land owner’s consent to enable lodgement of an application under Section 60 of the Heritage Act 1977 to progress the Sydney Harbour Bridge Northern Cycleway Access project. We can feel confident progressing this project with the knowledge it has strong community support, significant active transport benefits and that the options and impacts to open space and heritage have been thoroughly evaluated and substantially mitigated through a robust design excellence process, reinforced by independent expert and agency advice. On this basis, Transport progressed a Review of Environmental Factors, which was placed on public display at the end of last year, and again received overwhelming support. Council requested that we follow this planning pathway, rather than the State Significant Impact pathway, and we supported this view on the basis it would be a faster and less expensive process, given that SSI is typically used for major infrastructure projects.”
In her earlier letter, Manns from North Sydney Council wrote: “I acknowledge that survey results in relation to the project have received support. However, at a local level, the project has created concern. In a committed attempt to save their park and assist TFNSW in achieving better bicycle access to the Harbour Bridge, the community had put forward alternative proposals. In their view, these proposals should be given more consideration.”
The council said it has legal advice which stated that “there is a strong argument available that the development of a publicly accessible cycleway is consistent with the use of the Trust Land for the purposes of public parks and public recreation.” – which may remove a potential impediment to state construction of a bike ramp on the land. However, the advice also suggests that the government may need to compulsorily acquire the land because it is held by Council in community trust.
The EGM is scheduled for tonight at 7.30pm. It will consider the following motion: “THAT the Council resolves to provide land owners consent as requested for those lands of which Council is the owner thus enabling the lodgement of an application under Section 60 of the Heritage Act 1977 for the Sydney Harbour Bridge Northern Cycleway Access project.”