It’s been a good season for Sydney’s urban swimming enthusiasts. Back in October, a section of Lake Parramatta reopened to swimmers after a $1.4 million glow-up, and on December 7, Penrith’s “Pondi” reopened with fresh new facilities and a summer-long event program. Now, residents of Ryde are in for a beach-shaped treat – with a new urban beach on the banks of the Parramatta River opening to swimmers on Wednesday (January 22).
Putney Park Swim Site (or Putney Beach) has been brought to life through a partnership between The City of Ryde, the NSW Government and the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG), as part of the government’s Places to Swim initiative. With summers getting hotter every year and Sydney’s urban population growing, the government is seeking to create more accessible swimming spaces in the city, saving non-coastal residents the long, expensive journey times required to reach the city’s beaches.
“This new swim site – which joins others planned, or already operating, along the sparkling Parramatta River – will provide amazing recreation opportunities for our residents, who will no longer have to endure a long car ride to get to the closest beach,” explained City of Ryde Mayor Trenton Brown.
Although the steps and netted enclosure at Putney Beach are new, Sydneysiders have been cooling off in this stretch of river for decades, with Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully saying organised in-river swimming at the site of Putney Beach dates back to the 1920s.
“The opening of Putney Beach extends a long tradition of swimming in the Parramatta River,” Mr Scully said, describing the beach as “a great asset for the local community.”
If you’re concerned about the water quality of the river, you’ve got a point – it’s an ongoing challenge for the people working to bring safe swimming sites to life in Sydney. Ryde City Council is working with the PRCG to improve the health of the river long-term, but swimmers are advised to stay out of the water for three days after rainfall.
Keen to go for a splash? You can learn more about Putney Beach and the additional swimming sites set to appear in Sydney over the next few years over here.
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