A new man-made beach that opened in western Sydney this week has been labelled ‘un-Australian’ due to a raft of rules some claim make it seem unwelcoming.
Penrith Beach – formed from an old quarry and dubbed ‘Pondi’ by locals in reference to the iconic Bondi Beach 63km away in Sydney’s eastern suburbs – opened on Tuesday morning as the area sweltered through a hot and humid 34°C summer day.
But local resident David, who went there with his young son, said the experience was ‘underwhelming’ after having to pre-book parking, battle traffic and pay through the nose for the only food option available.
‘You have to pre-book parking, which I don’t think a lot of locals might have known about, and the traffic was chaos, we had hundreds of metres of cars stretching back either way on Castlereagh Road,’ David told 2GB.
Host Neil Breen noted an FAQ on the NSW government website that bluntly lists what is not allowed at the newly formed attraction, including riding bikes, getting dropped off by a family member and even visiting without a booking.
‘There’s no beach in Australia that’s full, that’s not the Australian way,’ he said.
The area currently does not have any shade structures or trees to shield visitors from the baking western Sydney sun
The area is a long way from the renders put out by the NSW Government (pictured) this year
PARKING
Those visitors driving to Penrith Beach, which is open during the warmer months from December 19 until March 3, will need to book a parking spot and will need to do so up to three days in advance.
‘Once the parking pass allocation is exhausted, there will be no additional allocation,’ the NSW government website states.
‘This allows for the safe operation, access and exit from Penrith Beach during the temporary activation and the safety and comfort of local residents.
‘Parking passes are released every three days, so keep an eye out for the next release.’
David told 2GB that despite the government saying ‘there were going to be 700 parking spots, the car park doesn’t look finished’.
‘It looked nowhere near capacity, I think there was some confusion by locals that they might need to register.’
Local resident David told 2GB that despite the government saying ‘there were going to be 700 parking spots, the car park doesn’t look finished’
AMENITIES AND SHADE
David said the facilities at the lake were fairly rudimentary and there was very little in the way of trees or structures to provide sun protection during the baking western Sydney heat.
‘There is not an ounce of shade near the lake just the carpark, sand, and a few flags advertising Penrith Lakes,’ he said.
‘There is a demountable café, two change rooms, and toilets which are all pretty basic even by demountable standards.’
FOOD OPTIONS
David also said he would advise anyone visiting that BYO would be a good option after he paid $13 for a chicken sandwich.
‘There’s one kiosk they’ve got there [with] sandwiches, pies and sausage rolls, and nothing is cheaper than $10.
‘Though I get that that’s probably pretty standard for these types of places now.’
Visitor David said there was only one retail option available for food and he paid $13 for a chicken sandwich
SHUTTLE BUS
There is a shuttle bus that runs from Penrith train station to the beach, however some visitors on social media said they could not see any signage at the station about where the bus departs from.
According to the NSW government website, this option also requires a booking.
‘No pass = no access. There are limited seats on the shuttle bus and visitors must adhere to their selected booking time slot. Users must book a return ticket.’
GETTING DROPPED OFF OR RIDING A BIKE THERE
‘There is no drop-off and pick-up zone at Penrith Beach,’ the website states.
It also states that ‘no’, you cannot ride a bike there as there is no pedestrian path or cycleway along Castlereagh Road into the location.
Penrith Mayor Todd Carney called into the radio program and argued there actually was a pick-up and drop-off zone there and that the NSW government information was incorrect.
‘I don’t know why the government website says that because there is a kiss-and-ride facility out there,’ he said, adding he would be talking to the government to have authorities fix the website.
‘Riding along Castlereagh Rd on your bike could be dangerous though.’
Visitor David said, based on his experience, ‘We saw a U-turn spot but that’s still a few hundred metres from the lake so they’re going to have a decent trek.’
Penrith Beach opened to the public on Tuesday with locals (pictured) flocking to the new attraction in Sydney’s west built in an old quarry
The area is picturesque but some visitors complained there were too many rules, including that visitors needed to book parking up to three days ahead if they want to visit the beach
IRONING OUT THE ISSUES
Mayor Carney said: ‘This is the first day and we will get better at utilising the area in weeks to come.
‘It’s about what we can develop this into.’
He added the council intends to continue to improve the site and has ‘activations’ in the works for New Year’s and Australia Day.
David said he hoped the area would become a drawcard for Penrith locals and visitors.
‘It was certainly an interesting experience, I’ve mixed feelings about it really.
‘You walk through the car park… and it looks stunning at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
‘They could really be doing it justice, it just feels like in the race to get it ready for Christmas, they’ve left a bit to be desired.’