Construction has begun on the Campbelltown Billabong Parklands, a game changing new water recreation and tourist attraction in the heart of the city.

Mayor George Brticevic, Senator for Western Sydney Marise Payne and NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres turned the first sod to mark the start of construction on the $18.75 million project today.

The project has been funded through the Western Sydney City Deal Liveability Fund and is expected to be complete by June 2022.

“I’m delighted to see the start of what is a momentous project for our community and will provide the many families that live in Campbelltown with a place to gather, have fun and create many amazing memories,” Mayor George Brticevic said.

“This is a unique attraction for our city that will not only benefit our local residents but also drive tourism from across the region into our city centre,” Cr Brticevic said.

“Throughout the extensive consultation process, we heard how excited our community is for this project and we’ve put special attention into features like the main billabong pool which really captured the imagination of our residents,” he said.

The design of the parklands strongly reflects indigenous themes and responds to the landscape and scenery of the nearby Dharawal National Park and Georges River.

“The Campbelltown Billabong Parklands will pay homage to more than 60,000 years of Aboriginal history through the Dharawal people in our area and is representative of a billabong’s place in indigenous culture as an important place for gathering,” he said.

The final design for the Campbelltown Billabong Parklands incorporates a variety of water experiences, open turf areas, pavilion buildings with change facilities and a café, picnic settings and seating, meandering pathways, shade structures, natural tree cover, and garden bed areas with native plants.

It is located on a 4ha site at the corner of The Parkway and Moore-Oxley Bypass, Bradbury.

The facility is anticipated to attract up to 500,000 visitors annually once opened. The centrepiece of the attraction will be the approximately 1600m2 main billabong pool which is supplemented by a smaller children’s pool, cascades and streams and a zero-depth splash play area.

These interconnected recreational water experiences have been designed to reflect the local natural riverine environment and will cater safely for all ages and abilities.

The project is expected to create about 80 construction jobs and more than 20 full-time jobs to support the ongoing maintenance and day to day operations of the Billabong Parklands.