A new \u2018beach\u2019 in Penrith, soon to be added to the list of NSW\u2019s most iconic places to swim, will ensure people in Western Sydney have a place to cool off over summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2020, Penrith earned the title of the hottest place on earth with residents sweltering under a baking 48.9 degrees Celsius and in any heat wave it can be up to 10 degrees hotter than the east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But access to outdoor swimming spots for Western Sydney residents is limited. It\u2019s 40km to get to Lake Parramatta, 63km to Bondi Beach and 75km to either Cronulla or Manly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beach will be open 7 days a week from late December to early March 2024 with the exception of Christmas and New Year\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The same length as Bondi Beach, Penrith Beach will offer an unmatched waterside experience in the heart of Western Sydney where people of all ages and backgrounds can safely enjoy the water for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lifeguard services and first aid will be available in the designated and patrolled swimming zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is backed by a $1.7 million investment from the NSW Government for vital construction and safety work to get this major new swimming spot at Penrith Lakes ready to swim over the hottest months of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The site will be managed by the Department of Planning and Environment after an agreement signed with Western Sydney Lakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPenrith Beach is a gamechanger that gives the people of Western Sydney all the benefits of living in the west, with the addition of easy access to their very own beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is about fairness. For too long Western Sydney locals were neglected as the Liberals and Nationals focused all their energy on investment in Sydney\u2019s eastern suburbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Minns Labor Government made a decision to create this magnificent recreation facility to give Western Sydney residents their fair share with the same access to swimming as Sydney\u2019s east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs temperatures rise, access to water near where you live has never been more important \u2013regardless of age, ability, or postcode \u2013 everyone should have access to a safe place to cool off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPenrith broke records for being the hottest place on earth and another sweltering summer is ahead of us, so a place to swim is important to support public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve always said that communities need infrastructure to support their growth. We took this decision to support the people of Western Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is a location of which the people of Western Sydney can be proud and which will make the rest of Sydney a little bit jealous!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Member for Penrith Karen McKeown said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have lived in the Penrith community for over 35 years, so I know what a sweltering summer\u2019s day feels like here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Since the day I was elected I have been advocating that this gem is open up for our community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know just how much local residents are going to embrace and enjoy this new swimming spot close to home over Christmas and the school holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s an incredible amenity for families and friends to come and cool off, with the backdrop of the beautiful mountains, and I\u2019m so proud to see this project come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new \u2018beach\u2019 in Penrith, soon to be added to the list of NSW\u2019s most iconic places to swim, will ensure people in Western Sydney have a place to cool off over summer. In 2020, Penrith earned the title of the hottest place on earth with residents sweltering under a baking 48.9 degrees Celsius and … Continue reading “Western Sydney to join the State\u2019s best swimming destinations”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24236,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24235\/revisions\/24236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}