Tuesday, 4 April 2006

Sydney Olympic Park’s Brickpit Ring Walk wins prestigious environmental award

NSW Minister for Tourism and Sport and Recreation Sandra Nori today congratulated Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA) for winning the EnergyAustralia National Trust Heritage Awards, which has recognised the Authority for its development and management of the Brickpit Ring Walk.

The Brickpit Ring Walk, a new aerial walkway more than 18 metres above ground, that has transformed the historic Brickpit at Sydney Olympic Park into an ecological attraction, was unveiled in December 2005.

“The aerial circular walkway is the best way of combining public access while at the same time complying with the many ecological and public safety constraints within the Brickpit,” Minister Nori said.

“This new, elevated circular walkway offers visitors a spectacular view of the Brickpit from above while preserving the habitat of the endangered Green and Golden Bell frog,” she said.

“The Brickpit Ring Walk opens up one of the last remaining restricted sections of Sydney Olympic Park to the public and provides visitors with a close-up view of the connections between the past, present and future of this historic site,” she said

SOPA’s ‘Brickpit Ring Walk’ was one of four entries in the ‘tourism projects’ category of the annual awards, which encourages the conservation of Australia's natural, built or cultural heritage.

Built nearly a century ago, the Brickpit employed hundreds of skilled labourers and produced some three billion bricks during its operational years, providing the raw building materials for much of Sydney’s suburban housing as well as many of the city’s public buildings including hospitals, schools and civic centres.

Plans to develop the Brickpit site as a tennis centre for the 2000 Olympic Games were abandoned after the discovery of an endangered Green and Golden Bell frog on the site. On the threatened species list, the Green and Golden Bell frog had established a natural habitat in the Brickpit, and thrived.

The new Ring Walk, which has a circumference of 550 metres, provides visitors with interpretive material linking the history of the Brickpit with the evolution of the Green and Golden Bell frog’s habitat along with the unique geology and the innovative water recycling initiatives at Sydney Olympic Park.

Media Contact: Alex McGregor on 0404 015 556