The Iron Cove Creek is a waterway in the Sydney suburbs of Croydon, Ashfield and Five Dock in the Inner West Council local government area. In 2024, after sustained community advocacy, the Inner West Council agreed to create a shared path for walking and low-speed cycling along Iron Cove Creek. This path will provide an active transport corridor linking Ashfield Pool to existing shared paths at Iron Cove Bay and improve the liveability and community connections of our neighbourhood.
Friends of Iron Cove Creek is a non-partisan, grassroots community organisation formed to engage with local residents and visitors on the Iron Cove Creek path. We will check in with Council regularly on their progress in implementing the path and post updates here.
Current status – December 2025
In September 2025, the Inner West Council issued a public Request for Tender (RFT) to develop a Feasibility Study for Sections 3-5 of the Iron Cove Creek Path Masterplan. These sections run from John Street to Ramsay Street in Five Dock and Croydon/Ashfield, covering council-owned and Sydney Water land.
A Feasibility Study is the critical next step after the Masterplan. It includes engineering surveys, traffic flow analysis, flood modelling, geotechnical studies, and consultation with Sydney Water and Ausgrid. The study will determine what’s viable, identify constraints, and provide the foundation for the next stage of design work.
In December 2025, consultants Civille Pty Ltd were appointed to conduct the Feasibility Study, with completion expected in the first half of 2026. Civille brings valuable experience to this next stage of design as they have previously developed designs for the Inner West Greenway and the Iron Cove Creek Masterplan.
Next Milestones
- The Feasibility Study is completed by Civille in the first half of 2026
- FiCC next quarterly meeting with the project delivery team in first quarter 2026
Background
We live in a beautiful city, with amazing parks and playgrounds, fantastic schools, state of the art pools and gyms, and delicious food. But they are all separated by busy roads that have been designed to move cars through, instead of inviting people to stay and enjoy.
Friends of Iron Cove Creek has been asking local residents about their views for almost five years now and feedback has been strong and consistent: Our community wants safe spaces to walk and ride bikes to get around – the Iron Cove Creek path can get us there.
See diagram below for a timeline of the path and how we got here. There is a more detailed overview at Mark Skelsey’s Sydney Insider blog. Mark is a reporter who covers planning, transport and environment in the greater Sydney area. He has written a fantastic article about the Iron Cove Creek shared path plan, as well as some history as to how it got started. It’s a great summary of what we are trying to achieve, and the challenges and opportunities along the way.
The Masterplan for the Iron Cove Creek Path
The project received $100,000 funding from the Inner West Council and $90,000 dollars from a NSW State Government grant to develop a master plan. The design consultancy firm Civille was engaged to develop the master plan, which was endorsed by the Inner West Council on the 12th of September 2023 to proceed to community engagement.
The Inner West Council made the DRAFT Iron Cove Creek Masterplan available for community feedback from 27th of October 2023 to 8th of December 2023. Community feedback was very positive with 95% of respondents approving of the plan.
At the Inner West Council meeting on 9th April 2024, Council agreed:
1. That Council endorse the Iron Cove Creek Masterplan
2. That Council endorse the preparation of grant funding submissions to upcoming external grant funding opportunities from State and Federal Government agencies for the Iron Cove Creek Masterplan
3. That Council determine to spend $500k on designing aspects of the Iron Cove Creek way in the 2024-2025 budget.
The Iron Cove Creek Shared Path
The Iron Cove Creek Masterplan divides the path into six separate precincts, as outlined in our map below. View a zoomable PDF version of the map.
Timeline
March 2020: The idea is listed in the Inner West Council’s 20 year Integrated Transport Plan adopted by Council
May 2020: Local residents Anna and Sarah met and formed Friends of Iron Cove Creek
Jan 2021: Friends of Iron Cove Creek survey released. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZFNay_hgrdKHnvffFrAO3QcitCZ85QsQWI_NccU0xR5NsJw/viewform
April 2021: Inner West Council unanimously pass a motion to set aside funding in the next budget to explore the technical feasibility of the project
July 2021: Inner West Council approve budget that provides $100,000 for the development of a Master Plan
December 2021: NSW Government award a grant of $90,000 under the Metropolitan Greenspace Program to support planning for this project
January 2022: Civille urban design consultants win public tender to develop the Iron Cove Creek Master Plan
August 2022: Friends of Iron Cove Creek petition opened https://chng.it/zGjSC4cb
late October 2022: Inner West Council conducts first round of community consultation for the Iron Cove Creek Master Plan https://yoursay.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/iron-cove-creek-master-plan
On the 12th of September 2023, the draft Iron Cove Creek Master Plan was endorsed by the Inner West Council and will proceed to public exhibition and comment.
The Iron Cove Creek Masterplan is made available for community feedback from the 27th of October 2023 to the 8th of December 2023
The Iron Cove Creek Masterplan is endorsed by the Inner West Council on the 9th of April 2024. The council will provide $500,000 funding in the 2024/25 budget, and will seek further funding from federal and state governments.
September 2024: local government elections across NSW. Soon after, the new Inner West Councillors were briefed by council staff on significant projects in the LGA, including the Iron Cove Creek path.
Early 2025, the Inner West Council’s project delivery team started work for implementing the Iron Cove Creek Masterplan, focusing on the parts of the path that are on council-owned land.
July 2025 – a Request for Tender is issued for the development of a Feasibilty Study for the Iron Cove Creek path sections 3 to 5. The RFT closes on 12th September 2025.
December 2025 – Civille Pty Ltd is appointed to create a Feasibility Study as the next stage of design for the Iron Cove Creek Shared Path
Support
What community members are saying about the path
Active and emissions free transport should be encouraged.
Margaret L
I want to be able to ride from Ashfield to the city via the bays. This link is essential.
Simeon K
It’s a great idea and would be most welcomed by the community.
Lok S
Great opportunity to provide safer opportunities for bike travel in the Inner West. Good for commuters, families and the environment. Let’s do it!
Dave A
We need increased safe, separated bike paths to encourage more people to enjoy cycling. Cycling is a fun and healthy activity for people of all ages and helps reduce our carbon footprint when used for small & longer trips.
Frouke D
People need to be able to get around easily, without driving cars where possible. Healthier for people who cycle, and for everyone’s planet.
Janet B
We are grateful for the support and backing of the following groups:
Letter of support from Rob Stokes,
Minister for Infrastructure, Cities, Active Transport
Acknowledgment of Country
Friends of Iron Cove Creek acknowledge that the Iron Cove Creek and proposed pathway are on the lands of the Wangal and Gadigal Peoples of the Eora Nation, and that sovereignty was never ceded. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and to other First Nations people in our community.
Contact
If you have any questions, comments, or want to join please get in touch!
friendsofironcovecreek@gmail.com
Friends of Iron Cove Creek Facebook group
Friends of Iron Cove Creek
Friends of Iron Cove Creek 