Author(s)

A R McCormick

Abstract

Design for sustainability in the Hill Road Corridor precinct, Millennium Parklands, Homebush Bay, Sydney, Australia A.R. McCormick Hassell Pty Ltd, Australia Abstract The Millennium Parklands site comprises nearly 500ha of highly disturbed landscapes and sensitive habitats including woodlands, saltmarshes and intertidal wetlands. Once complete, the parklands will be one of the largest metropolitan parks in Sydney. The initial stage of development was completed prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The parklands played a major role in providing a setting for the games. The Sydney Olympics were known as the Green Games. Sustainability was a key requirement of all Olympic projects. The design for the Millennium Parklands was used extensively to publicise how the Olympic Co-ordination Authority (OCA) met its sustainability objectives. This paper focuses on how the Hill Road Corridor precinct of the parklands was designed for water conservation and wetland habitat development. Located between the Athletes Village and the Olympic Stadium, the corridor was the site of a former landfill and ordinance disposal area. The parklands are acknowledged as one of the greatest legacies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The design is widely regarded as a model for how degraded sites can be returned to productive natural and cultural landscapes in major urban areas. 1 Introduction A multidisciplinary team led by HASSELL was appointed to undertake the conceptual design of Millennium Parklands in March 1997. An extension to this work involved the design development of the water management infrastructure and wetlands of the Hill Road Corridor Precinct in September 1997. Further concept refinement was done by team members in 1998/99. This paper draws upon the work done by the team over this period. The team membership is listed in Appendix A.

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