Plans proposed to transform Cockatoo Island in Sydney
A plan to re-vamp Sydney Harbour's Cockatoo Island has been released to the public for feedback. Under the proposal, a hotel, high-end restaurants and a public swimming pool could soon be built to encourage more visitors to the heritage site.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00 Here at Cockatoo Island or Wareemah on Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust
00:07 is launching a new vision today to turn this place into an international tourist destination.
00:13 Now that means hotels, restaurants, night time displays, as well as cabins and relocated
00:19 camping facilities.
00:21 Just behind me this slipway under that vision could turn into a public swimming spot.
00:26 Now this slipway was used to launch boats which were built on the island more than 100
00:30 years ago.
00:31 All of these elements of that vision are hoping to entice more local families and international
00:36 visitors to come and visit this place.
00:38 Now Cockatoo Island is often used for major events like the Sydney Biennale and music
00:44 and comedy performances.
00:46 But there's an argument recently that it hasn't quite been utilised to its full potential.
00:51 Now Alison Page from the Sydney Harbour Trust is hoping to use this vision and this public
00:57 consultation process to bring more people on board to get more out of this island.
01:02 What I love about the Master Plan is it's sort of taking that story from the dreaming
01:06 of our connection to sea country and our connection to watercraft and pulling it right through
01:12 to a place where all Australians can come here and canoe on the harbour, maybe in a
01:17 traditional canoe, go swimming here, camp here, connect to sea country I think in a
01:24 way that my people have for millennia.
01:26 Now the Trust says the full vision for this could take more than 15 years to fully realise
01:32 which is why they're getting started now with those consultations, hoping to get the community
01:36 on board to have their say as to what Cockatoo Island could be in the future.
01:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]