The highly anticipated moment has arrived for Hornsby Shire Council to unveil the draft master plans for Hornsby Park and Westleigh Park.
Hornsby Park will be an exciting destination parkland that includes the rehabilitated Hornsby Quarry, while Westleigh Park will be a sports and recreation complex with multiple facilities.
Hornsby Shire Mayor Philip Ruddock is looking forward to seeing the community's response to the plans.
"A core component of projects of this magnitude is always the extensive public consultation that is undertaken," Mayor Ruddock said.
"These are landmarks that will be part of our Shire's heritage for generations to come and we want to make sure that the community has a sense of ownership.
"The only way to do that is by making the community an active part of the planning process."
The draft master plan for Hornsby Park proposes facilities for walking, cycling, mountain biking, climbing, field sports and other activities.
Also proposed is bushland restoration, restoration of the Higgins Family Cemetery, a freshwater lake and a major lift to give access to the quarry floor. Plans for the crusher plant would see it converted into a recreational/cultural building.
Hornsby Quarry has already been largely filled in by material excavated from the recently opened NorthConnex Tunnel.
Westleigh Park will be a multi-purpose facility with three sports platforms that have been designed to work within the constraints of the existing bushland vegetation and the future provision of improved road access.
There will also be bushland restoration, play facilities, bushwalking trails and mountain bike trails.
The estimated cost is $130 million for Hornsby Park and $80 million for Westleigh Park.
The NSW Government has provided $50 million for Hornsby Park and $40 million for Westleigh Park, while Council has approximately $35 million from developer contributions and other sources.
There is a current shortfall of $85 million.
"The simple reality is that Hornsby Shire is much smaller than it was when this project was first considered, and we do not have the same resources that we did then," Mayor Ruddock said.
"We are not scaling the projects back as a result, but we will have to carry out their implementation in stages.
Hornsby Park will become a major tourist destination and will be the jewel in the crown of Hornsby Shire's already impressive recreation facilities, befitting of the contribution the community made to purchasing the land."
