An inner-city park's renewal as a sports destination is now complete with a new multi-purpose synthetic pitch supporting the growing need for more outdoor fields in the area.
Perry Park's transformation including a FIFA-sized pitch, amenities pavilion and change rooms for teams complements the recreation centre serving local communities on the site since opening in 2019.
Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO will officially open the Alexandria facility tomorrow, Saturday 27 July.
"Many decades ago, Perry Park was a rubbish tip. We've turned it into a sports lover's dream with world-class indoor and outdoor facilities giving residents and visitors more options to stay active and healthy in Australia's global city," the Lord Mayor said.
"As we cheer on Australia's best and brightest at the Paris Games, Perry Park provides the perfect training ground for the next generation of Olympic hopefuls. From football to basketball to volleyball, and even badminton, this sports hub has what our communities need long into the future.
"Not only do these facilities bring real value to our communities, they're close to public transport and walking and cycling paths. The park is also right around the corner from Green Square, which continues to grow into Australia's most densely populated area.
"Active communities are healthy ones and we continue to improve public parks across our area, giving Sydneysiders more green space to enjoy."
The new synthetic meets FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) requirements and can also accommodate team training for sports such as touch football, Oztag, rugby league and union, and hockey.
Improvements also include new park lighting, fencing, a drop-off zone and some parking, as well as sportsfield lighting further boosting playable hours.
The amenities pavilion provides accessible toilets, change rooms with showers, storage areas and covered areas for spectators.
As part of the project, access has been greatly improved with a path linking surrounding streets to the pitch, as well as a second accessible entry ramp installed on the corner of Bourke Road and Maddox Street.
Planting 26 large native trees will see them mature alongside the dozens retained, including mature Fig trees, increasing canopy cover. This will help cool the area in and around the park while providing habitat for local wildlife.
Hundreds of native plants have also been added to the park under trees and along entry paths.
This is the latest synthetic field the City of Sydney has built, in addition to the Getiela sportsfield at Alexandria Park Community School, Gunyama Park in Zetland and The Crescent sportsfield in Annandale.
Perry Park Recreation Centre is popular with teams of all ages playing futsal, basketball, netball and volleyball.
