Case Studies
Birriwa Reserve

Design Feature

Type of project
Local Government Initiative
State
New South Wales
Location
Urban
The Birriwa Reserve Outdoor Youth Space transformed a two-hectare grassed drainage basin courts into an adventure destination for older children across the Macarthur region, in south west Sydney, and beyond. Funded by Camden Council, and completed in May 2016, the project delivered Council’s vision to create a facility specifically for youth aged 10 to 17 years in an area of rapid residential growth. Council worked closely with members of the community and key groups to ensure the space was not only innovative, but also socially, financially and environmentally sustainable. Although initially established for local youth, the reserve has expanded and become a multi-purpose, activated space for young children, teenagers and families to be active, get outdoors and connect with their local community.
An adventure destination
Camden is one of the fastest growing local government areas in Australia. With this comes an increased urgency in providing community infrastructure. Camden Council recognised the need for a major outdoor youth facility, and this was also identified as a high priority in the 2014 Camden Recreation Demand Study.

Council identified a 2-hectare area of Birriwa Reserve at Mount Annan as a suitable site for the project. The location was previously a grassed drainage basin, with two ageing basketball courts in need of renewal. To maximise the reserve’s ability to generate positive social engagement, Council identified that the project needed to create a unique, multi-dimensional adventure destination that would provide young people a sense of place.
The design focused on transforming the site to a public open space for older children to ‘hang out’ in a safe environment. The reserve had a reputation for anti-social behaviour with frequent incidents of vandalism and graffiti at surrounding facilities. To address this issue, Council included space activation and youth engagement strategies such as the inclusion of street art in areas prone to vandalism. Council also developed a regular maintenance schedule for the space to take care of the equipment and landscaping to keep the park safe and appealing.

The design focused on transforming the site to a public open space for older children to ‘hang out’ in a safe environment. The reserve had a reputation for anti-social behaviour with frequent incidents of vandalism and graffiti at surrounding facilities. To address this issue, Council included space activation and youth engagement strategies such as the inclusion of street art in areas prone to vandalism. Council also developed a regular maintenance schedule for the space to take care of the equipment and landscaping to keep the park safe and appealing.
To encourage young people to feel connected and engaged with their community, Council created ‘hang out zones’ within the space, which includes leaning posts, outdoor sun-lounge style seating, shelters and open green space. This ensures that Birriwa Reserve is a popular destination for all young people, and provides a safe space to meet with friends. The reputation of this part of Mount Annan has completely transformed with the development of this adventure destination.
Project team
  • Town Planners (Camden Council)
  • Engineering (Camden Council)
  • Community Safety (Camden Council)
  • Camden Youth Council
  • Camden Local Area Police
  • Mr G, International street artist
  • Local schools
  • Mount Annan residents

Project cost
$1.85 Million
Health value
  • Innovative play equipment, designed to encourage physical activity, including climbing nets, a 30-metre twin cable ride, air glider, rodeo board and sky surf.
  • Fitness equipment encouraging safe and free exercise for all ages. Including installation of ‘green energy’ fitness pieces such as cycling equipment which generate electricity while in use, enabling visitors to charge mobile phones and other devices.
  • The playground area is surrounded by rubber soft fall to help reduce injuries on play equipment.
  • Water bubblers providing safe drinking water.
  • Flexible spaces, such as level grass areas suitable for health and spiritual activities including meditation, Yoga and Pilates and multipurpose hard floored basketball court for a variety of sports and activities for all ages.
  • Connected footpaths meandering through the reserve to encourage walking, jogging and easy use of all facilities.

Economic value
  • The innovative, safe and largely utilised public open space for young people and families may increase the real estate appeal of Mount Annan and surrounding suburbs.
  • Although Birriwa Reserve was primarily developed for use by local residents, it is expected that the public amenities will also encourage visitors from outside of the local government area.
  • Connecting the space with the adjacent Mount Annan Leisure Centre also has the potential to increase membership to the Leisure Centre with members having access to an outdoor area for outdoor group fitness, personal training, and post workout social interaction.

Environmental value
Camden Council undertook several activities to ensure that Birriwa Reserve would provide residents with a green, healthy and sustainable environment. These activities included:

  • The planting of trees, vegetation and turf to provide accessible greenspace and improve the amenity of the area.
  • Power saving LED lighting in the car park and along pathways.
  • Sustainable landscaping and building practices such as the reuse of existing light fittings and selecting low maintenance plant species, which required minimal watering, and were well suited to the harsh climate and largely clay based soil.
  • Careful planning and consultation with engineers to ensure that the levels created minimised the removal of soil to achieve a final ground level.


Social value
  • The renewal of the basketball courts has encouraged parents and children to interact together in outdoor sports.
  • LED lighting creates a feeling of safety and security for young people and families to visit the park at night. The well-lit footpaths have also provided a connection between residential areas and nearby retail shops.
  • The fitness and play equipment encourages group activity and community connection for all ages. For example, the swings have been designed to face inwards, enabling users to talk and engage with each other as they swing.
  • The barbecue facilities have become a popular meeting place for local families and friends with many arriving early in the morning on weekends to reserve spaces for birthday parties and gatherings.
  • The varied seating areas provide a meeting place and encourage social interaction among locals and visitors.

The local community were engaged in the design process after expressing concerns about anti-social behaviour and vandalism in the area. This led to the inclusion of several additional safety features including:
  • Raised levels to increase visibility from the street.
  • Increased lighting in the carpark and along footpaths.
  • Easy connection to surrounding residential and retail areas.


Use value
  • While Birriwa Reserve has a wide selection of equipment and facilities, there is also a large amount of turfed open space that connects the playground, gym equipment and barbecue/picnic facilities making it the perfect venue for private, community and cultural events.
  • The inclusion of parking, barbecue and picnic facilities, public amenities and open green space with easy access from main roads, makes it a perfect venue for visitors to stop and enjoy the outdoors while visiting Camden.
  • The fitness equipment provides residents with the opportunity to engage in healthy activities without having to pay gym or club fees. The equipment is suitable for a variety of ages and fitness levels and encourages health and fitness as part of social interaction.
  • Accessibility and use by people with disability has been addressed throughout the space. Participants in wheelchairs or with other mobility equipment can visit and use the park due to the connectivity of paths, soft pour run ups to various pieces of play equipment and disabled parking positions.


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