Harbour Foreshore Precinct

We are revitalising the iconic harbourside precinct

Construction of the highly anticipated regional playspace and the amenities and kiosk building is progressing at Foreshore Park.  

The project is the centrepiece of the Newcastle Harbour Foreshore Masterplan and will deliver a flagship destination for inclusive recreation that celebrates Newcastle’s industrial and maritime history, as well as the heritage of its Traditional Custodians.

A unique all-abilities playspace and waterplay area 

Developed in collaboration with Touched by Olivia, and shaped by extensive community input, Livvi’s Place will be a vibrant new playspace designed for all abilities. It will feature: 

• Four play zones including toddler, nature, water, and quiet areas
• A giant whale swing and picnic area honouring  the Traditional Custodians of the land
• Industrial-themed towers with accessible ramps
• Waterplay linked to Newcastle's maritime history
• Sensory paths, sandpit, carousel, and accessible slide
• Shaded seating, gardens, and electric wheelchair charging points

Cubby house naming and colouring in competition  

Our Foreshore Park cubby house naming competition invited little artists and idea‑makers to help name the new cubby house and colour in the playspace design. 

We received a mix of bright colouring‑in sheets, creative name suggestions and plenty of excitement for the new playground. 

We’re excited to announce that the winning name is Nobby’s Nook, submitted by 5-year-old Zoe. Their chosen name will appear on the cubby house signage when the new Foreshore Park playspace opens. 

An artist's impression of the industrial themed play structure and the waterplay area that will be built at Foreshore Park.  

Amenities and kiosk building

A fully accessible amenities and kiosk building is also under construction. It will serve both the future playground and broader park. 

The eastern side of the building opened in February 2026, featuring one accessible toilet along with unisex and ambulant facilities. A Changing Places facility and a parent’s room will be available when the new playspace opens in late 2026. The Changing Places facility that provides suitable facilities for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.  

The new kiosk is operated by local duo Thomas and Nova Carias Cox, who also run the popular Sunnyboy Kiosk at Dixon Park Beach and several Morning Market Coffee locations. Sunnyboy Park offers a relaxed, family friendly menu with favourites such as fish and chips, burgers, sandwiches, ice creams and great coffee.  

Greening the precinct
As part of the playspace and amenities building works, 44 trees will be removed and 108 new trees planted, significantly boosting future canopy cover.  

Timeline and construction hours  

The eastern side of the kiosk and amenities building opened in February 2026, with the western side scheduled for completion in late 2026, alongside the inclusive playspace.

Standard working hours on-site are 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday; however, to keep the project on schedule, occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required. We appreciate your patience as we bring this exciting new space to life.  

How is it funded? 

The project is supported by grants from the NSW State Government’s Resources for Regions program and the Everyone Can Play program, with additional funding from the Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund, Variety the Children’s Charity, and the Touched by Olivia Children’s Foundation. 

The masterplan

We have developed a Harbour Foreshore Masterplan for the Harbour Foreshore Precinct within Newcastle’s East End. The Masterplan creates a blueprint to reinvigorate this important community precinct, including a new inclusive playspace that will be developed with our Partner, Touched by Olivia.

The Masterplan recommends options for future uses and management of the park and foreshore precinct, in line with current and future community needs and expectations. This masterplan enables us to commence a long-term revitalisation project that will help meet the City's vision to deliver a world-class harbour foreshore precinct.

Consultant's Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL), in partnership with local firm Bosque Landscape Architects, worked with us to prepare the Harbour Foreshore Masterplan. As part of the project, we also worked collaboratively with Touched by Olivia to establish options for an inclusive playspace and to promote inclusive play by enabling children of all abilities and ages to play side by side.

Phase 1 of our community engagement to assist in creating a vision for the Masterplan concepts was held in 2020. This process built on previous community consultation which was undertaken as part of a Plan of Management for the foreshore precinct in 2015.

Phase 2 community engagement in 2021 reviewed preliminary concepts for Foreshore Park while gaining a detailed understanding on the way Newcastle's residents use Wharf Road. 

A Harbour Foreshore Community Reference Group was also formed to assist communication between CN and the Newcastle community as the Masterplan was developed.

The Harbour Foreshore Masterplan was placed on public exhibition from 28 September to 26 October 2022, before being adopted by council on Tuesday 13 December 2022.

The Masterplan will deliver an inclusive space for all and enhance connectivity between the city and the harbour’s edge around Foreshore Park and along Joy Cummings Promenade.

The centrepiece of the masterplan is Livvi’s Place, an inclusive regional playground and waterplay area. Livvi's Place playground will be developed in collaboration with Touched by Olivia and Variety – the Children's Charity, who have provided funding and expertise to assist with the design phase.

The playground will have a distinctly Newcastle character and pay tribute to the city's Aboriginal heritage.