A new foreshore master plan, a long-awaited football clubhouse and proposed legislative changes are reshaping the future of Callan Park. Not everyone agrees on what that future should look like.
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Callan Park has long occupied a unique place in the Inner West: waterfront green space, heritage site and planning flashpoint all at once. A series of announcements this month has brought those tensions back to the surface.
The NSW Government has confirmed work has begun on converting one of the park's long-vacant heritage buildings into a new clubhouse for Balmain & District Football Club. At the same time, Greater Sydney Parklands released a draft foreshore master plan for public consultation.
The Minns Government has described the direction as a new era of "activation" for the 61-hectare site. Opponents say the legislation underpinning it risks weakening protections that have limited commercial activity at Callan Park for more than two decades.
Image credit: Greater Sydney Parklands
The New Clubhouse at Building 497
The first project now underway is the conversion of the former Repatriation Ward (Building 497) into a clubhouse for Balmain & District Football Club.
Backed by $1.8 million from the NSW Government and $1.2 million from Inner West Council, the project will deliver meeting rooms, offices, accessible change rooms, showers, toilets and a canteen, alongside restoration and infrastructure upgrades.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the project showed why the rules governing Callan Park needed modernising.
"The decade it has taken to see work start on the new club house for Balmain & District Football Club is a clear example of red tape getting in the way of good community outcomes," he said.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said the facility was long overdue.
"The transformation of this long-abandoned building will bring a smile to kids, parents, club volunteers and officials," Byrne said.
Balmain & District Football Club President Paul Avery said the clubhouse would support growing participation, particularly among girls and women.
"This clubhouse will help ensure Callan Park remains a place where people can come together, stay active and support each other's wellbeing," he said.
The clubhouse is part of a broader pipeline of projects at Callan Park, including proposed tidal baths expected to open in summer 2026–27 and the removal of several derelict buildings to return open space to the park.
The Foreshore Plan and the Café Potential
Alongside the clubhouse announcement, Greater Sydney Parklands released its draft Callan Park Foreshore Master Plan for public feedback.
The plan proposes upgrades across the waterfront precinct: expanded pedestrian access, bushland improvements, additional seating, new pathways, upgraded Bay Run infrastructure and new tree planting.
One proposal drawing particular attention is the possible conversion of the historic Cane Room building into a café or kiosk.
Greater Sydney Parklands chief executive Joshua French said the plan was designed to open more of the park to people while protecting its character.
"The Callan Park waterfront is the most popular and heavily used part of the park, with more than 5,000 visitors using the Bay Run each day," French said.
The draft plan also proposes reducing vehicle access along parts of the foreshore to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists.
Under current legislation, a café would need to be run on a not-for-profit basis. That's what the Bill would change.
Why the Bill Is Controversial
The Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Amendment (Review) Bill 2026 is currently before NSW Parliament and would significantly change how Callan Park and several other Sydney parklands are governed.
The government says the reforms are designed to simplify leasing processes, reduce bureaucracy and allow practical community activations: cafés, kiosks, galleries and community facilities.
Community groups and Greens MPs argue the legislation goes further than that.
Under the proposed changes, financial sustainability would become an explicit objective of the Trust, leasing powers would expand, and community trustee boards would shift from joint decision-makers to an advisory role.
Greens MP for Balmain Kobi Shetty spoke against the Bill in parliament last week.
"We can continue to improve Callan Park without undermining the core protections in the Callan Park (Special Provisions) Act," she said.
Shetty also raised lease costs as a barrier for community groups wanting to activate unused buildings. "The government has set the rent, and the rent is too damn high," she told parliament.
In a statement this week she added: "Callan Park belongs to the community, not private profit."
More than 2,200 people have signed a petition opposing the proposed changes.
What Happens Next?
The future direction of Callan Park depends on two things: the passage of the Bill through Parliament and public feedback on the foreshore master plan.
Community consultation closes 21 June 2026. We'll keep you updated as the Bill progresses.
