By the 1970’s the Cooks River was arguably one of Australia’s most polluted rivers. It became the dumping ground for many local factories and industries toxic waste. Locals often joked if you fell in you would dissolve.

In February 2019 Federal Labor pledged $200 million dollars to clean up Sydney’s waterways.
Darcy Byrne, Mayor of the Inner West Council and Chair of the Cooks River Alliance, welcomed the multimillion-dollar commitment saying  “It is just the funding we need to rehabilitate the Cooks River”.
“All of the Cooks River Alliance member councils – Bayside, City of Canterbury Bankstown, Inner West and Strathfield – are ready to go with millions of dollars’ worth of costed, shovel-ready projects that will result in a healthy Cooks River. Urban rivers are national assets and Federal Labor’s commitment is the kind of ambitious investment we need from the Commonwealth to bring or waterways back to life”.

Utilising many of Benedict’s quality products, the McGregor Coxall Landscape Architects’ design, constructed by Glascott Landscape & Civil, improves the area’s ability to capture and treat urban stormwater prior to it entering the river or permeating into groundwater. Benedict’s sustainable and natural materials are locally sourced and were chosen because of their ability to blend with the environment. Our Sandy Point Quarry supplied a variety of sandstone boulders to create a riprap wall, as well as our 15mm single washed sandstone pebble for mulch and walkways. SmartMix 6 is a low phosphorus soil blend intended for the cultivation of acid-loving plants such as many Australian natives. It is the ideal choice for bushland and native planted areas.

Stage one of the Cooks River Parkland Upgrade is now complete. Wildlife is returning and locals have noticed the improvement in the water quality and are once again enjoying their open space.