Decision details

Moved by Councillor Kok, seconded by Councillor Gannon –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         the Domain Express Walkway opened in 1961 and is the largest moving public walkway in the southern hemisphere;

(ii)        the travelator style walkway runs underground for 200 metres between the Domain Carpark and Hyde Park;

(iii)      the walkway and associated lifts provide an important pedestrian link between the Domain Car Park and Hyde Park and is useful to car park users but also the general community, including Woolloomooloo residents;

(iv)      the walkway and both lifts alongside it have not been operational since 2019;

(v)       the ongoing closure has created significant access issues for older people, families with prams, people with disability or limited mobility and other who need help traversing the hill;

(vi)      the walkway is owned by the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust and is managed by Wilson Parking until the current lease expires in 2033;

(vii)     in November 2024, the Lord Mayor wrote to the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, seeking repairs to the walkway;

(viii)    the Trust advised that this matter should be taken up with Wilson Parking, the leaseholder and operator of the Domain Car Park;

(ix)      the Trust also mentioned the reasons why repairs have been delayed:

(a)       more frequent breakdowns as the infrastructure ages;

(b)       costs are increasingly prohibitive; and

(c)       all components are difficult to source or replace;

(x)       in March 2025, the Lord Mayor wrote to Jeremy Dyson, General Manager Operations at Wilson Parking, about the repairs and removal of graffiti from the walkway wall, but no response has been received; and

(B)      the Lord Mayor be requested to write to the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, seeking urgent repairs to the Domain Express Walkway and lifts, a confirmed timeline for their reopening and a commitment to prioritise the ongoing maintenance of these essential public facilities.

Carried unanimously.

X113763