Artistic impression of the future Burwood Culture House on the site of the Library car park

One of our main commitments at Council is to invest in the cultural and artistic vibrancy of Burwood so we continue to grow as a major destination in Sydney and support the economic growth of our area.

The first stage of construction for the Burwood Culture House will commence at the end of September 2025.

This will require permanent closure of the Burwood Library outdoor car park on the corner of Conder Street and Railway Parade, Burwood. That space will become the outdoor plaza of Burwood Culture House.

Please see below a Transport Access Guide (TAG) showing alternative parking stations and public transport options in the area.

The construction of Burwood Culture House will include an underground Council car park with 50 spaces (including allocated Disabled Parking spots) to replace the ones previously above ground.

There will be a lift from the underground car park to the Burwood Culture House plaza, so that access to Burwood Library & Community Hub, Burwood Public School and businesses in the area will remain easily accessible to visitors.

In addition to this, the new Council car park will be connected underground to a 600-space car park that is part of the retail/residential development, Burwood Place.

When will the car park close?

The Burwood Library & Community Hub outdoor car park on the corner of Conder Street and Railway Parade will be closed to the public as of Monday 29 September 2025.

Why is the car park closing?

One of our main commitments at Council is to invest in the cultural and artistic vibrancy of Burwood, so that we continue to grow as a major destination in Sydney and support the economic growth of our area.

In 2022, Burwood Council was successful in securing $50M from the NSW Government, which together with funding from Council, will be used to build Burwood Culture House – an urban park, arts and cultural centre.

Burwood Culture House will be built on the site of the Library car park. The decommissioning/demolition of the car park is the first stage of construction for Burwood Culture House.

What is happening with the library?

Burwood Library & Community Hub will remain open throughout Burwood Culture House construction. At this point, Council expects no change to programs, classes and opening hours.

The front entrance of the library will however be closed once the car park closes and access will be through the Unity Place entrance.

Unity Place will be the access point for the public and all courier and other commercial deliveries.

What is happening with parking in the area?

The construction of Burwood Culture House will include an underground Council car park with 50 spaces (including allocated Disabled Parking spots) to replace the ones previously above ground. There will be a lift from the underground car park to the Burwood Culture House plaza so that access to Burwood Library and Community Hub, Burwood Public School and businesses in the area will remain easily accessible to visitors.

In addition this, the new Council car park will be connected underground to a new 600-space car park that is part of the retail/residential development, Burwood Place.

Alternative local car parks

There are a number of under-utilised Council and retail car parks that are close to the Burwood Library and Community Hub. Please see the map on the Transport Access Guide (TAG) below for the locations of parking stations close by and visit this page for opening hours and rates.

Street parking

With the closure of the outdoor Library car park, Council will make adjustments to the close-by street parking, taking into account Disabled Parking spots, Loading Zones and the requirements of pick-up and drop-offs for Burwood Public School. If you are a member of the Burwood Public School community, please click here for a Transport Access Guide specifically for you.

How will construction noise and dust be mitigated?

The Culture House Project DA contains specific conditions of consent that directly address dust control, noise management, and construction impacts on the community. These are mandatory conditions that must be met by the construction contractor undertaking the works.

The regulatory framework requires compliance with the following:

• Dust Control: DA Condition 70 mandates that the contractor provide "a detailed demolition plan indicating the method of demolition, details of protection of the public in relation to dust control." This is a Prior to Commencement (PTC) condition that must be satisfied before any construction begins.

• Noise Management: DA Conditions 70 (noise mitigation during demolition) and 20 (vibration emissions control) address noise concerns. The required Construction Management Plan (DA Condition 12) must detail how construction activities will be managed during all phases, including periods when construction activities during school hours are unavoidable.

Holdmark, as the appointed Stage 1 contractor, will be required to satisfy all these conditions before within their proposed Construction management Plan (which we are yet to receive) prior to construction activities commencing on the library carpark site.

Council's expectation is that adequate measures, as required, will be implemented, including dust suppression measures (water spraying, dust screens, covered material handling), specific protocols for high risk activities, weather dependent work restrictions during high wind conditions, regular site inspections and dust control maintenance schedules.

Council will be appointing a Works Inspector (superintendent) for the project, and both the superintendent and Council in its regulatory authority role will seek to monitor compliance throughout the construction phase.

Council is developing an exciting new vision for our community that will see the existing carpark outside the Burwood Library and Community Hub located at 2- 4 Conder Street transform into a thriving Urban Park, Arts and Cultural Centre.

Responding to the growth of Burwood, the project seeks to deliver a vibrant and dynamic civic and cultural precinct that celebrates the unique diversity of cultures in Burwood.

Importantly, the project responds to three key issues facing Burwood - the need for more public open space, more community facilities and the identified need for a cultural centre with purpose built spaces to support arts and cultural outcomes in the Burwood Local Government Area and broader region.

The project will deliver:

• A new arts and cultural centre, including dedicated performance and rehearsal spaces, studio space, community lounge, flexible multipurpose spaces and café.
• A new urban park including a public plaza, sloping green lawn area, trees, landscaping, interactive water play features and public art.
• An underground public car park.

By creating a place where communities can gather to celebrate and experience arts and culture, the project will establish Burwood as a destination with resulting social, cultural, sustainability and economic outcomes.

Burwood has undergone significant change with residential population growing by 20% from 2009 to 2019 and a further 50% increase in population anticipated by 2036. Population growth has led to an identified shortfall in public open space and community facilities. New cultural infrastructure is required to reinforce the role of Burwood Town Centre as a Strategic Centre in the NSW Government’s Eastern City District Plan. As a main economic centre and transport hub, new facilities and improvements to the public domain are required to integrate arts and cultural outcomes into urban development. This service need is identified in key Council plans including the Burwood Local Strategic Planning Statement and Burwood 2036.

Currently there are no dedicated arts and cultural facilities in the Burwood LGA. Council has identified that one dedicated arts and cultural facility is required to support Burwood LGA’s current population. The need to provide a dedicated cultural centre with a purpose built performance space co-located with flexible multipurpose spaces that support a range of arts and cultural uses has been further tested via community engagement and a comprehensive business case process.

The Burwood Community Facilities and Open Space Strategy identifies that by 2036, Burwood LGA will need:

• An additional 1,875m2 of community floor space.
• A cultural/performance space to address a lack of arts and cultural facilities (in Burwood LGA) and regionally in the adjoining Canada Bay and Strathfield LGAs.

The project site is the largest site identified for the provision of community floor space to meet this target. Through its unique design, existing public parking will be moved underground and new open and green public spaces will be integrated at ground level.

Council undertook extensive community engagement on the project in 2020 and 2021.

Council also welcomed community enquiries or submissions regarding the DA between June and 1 August 2022. The DA could be viewed on the DA portal.

To make enquiries or submissions in relation to the DA, community members could use one of the following methods:

• By email council@burwood.nsw.gov.au
• In writing to PO Box 240, Burwood NSW 1805. All correspondence should be addressed to the General Manager and quote the relevant application reference number (10.2022.44.1).
• By phoning the Customer Service Centre on (02) 9911 9911 during normal office hours (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.45pm).