Design taking shape for new Fernleigh Track amenities block

A new amenities block on the Fernleigh Track will include an accessible toilet, two unisex toilets and bike racks nearby.
Design is underway on the $200,000 facility, which will be installed near the end of the Fernleigh Track at Belmont, off the Railway Parade car park.
Project Manager Tess Dziwulski said cyclists and pedestrians had long requested additional amenities at the southern end of the Fernleigh Track.
“The need for amenities in this area was also highlighted in our recent community engagement for the Fernleigh Awabakal Shared Track,” she said.
“The location has been selected to meet the needs of the community in terms of both safety and accessibility.”
The 25sqm custom-built building will feature vertical hardwood timber cladding to help it blend in with its bushland surrounds, with a polished concrete handbasin and roof water drainage that connects directly into a new rain garden.
Ms Dziwulski said a similar concept had been successfully implemented at Webb Park in Redhead.
“We want this to be more than just a functional amenities block – it’s designed to complement the surrounding landscape and demonstrate water-sensitive urban design principles that reflect the natural environment”
New bike racks installed adjacent to the amenities block will ensure cyclists using the facility can safely leave their bikes unattended.
The new amenities block will be funded as part of the Fernleigh Awabakal Shared Track project, which will see a new shared pathway from Belmont to Blacksmiths, taking in Belmont Lagoon and passing near Belmont Golf Club before running parallel to the Pacific Highway to Awabakal Avenue at Blacksmiths.
The amenities block is expected to be open by the end of 2021.