Project Update

Thank you to everyone who participated in our recent engagement activities for the John Street Public Domain Upgrade and Activation project. Your feedback is helping shape the future of John Street as the cultural and civic heart of the Camden Town Centre.

What we heard from the community

Throughout September, we received hundreds of submissions from residents, businesses, schools, and community groups in response to the draft concept design plans for John Street, 27 John Street and the draft Signage and Wayfinding Strategy.

Here’s what you told us:

What you support:

• Upgrading and repairing footpaths for safety and accessibility;
• Safer pedestrian crossings in key locations;
• Additional accessibility parking;
• A low-speed environment through John Street;
• Improved amenity including increased shade, seating, greenery and lighting along John Street;
• Maintaining the heritage look and feel of the street;
• Creating new spaces for public art, storytelling, and community events;
• Transforming 27 John Street into a community gathering and performance space; and
• Improving signage and wayfinding to welcome visitors and highlight Camden’s history. 

Concerns you raised: 

• The extent of removing parking spaces, especially in the Central Precinct, and the effect this would have on businesses, schools, churches and community services;
• The balance between widening footpaths at the cost of parking,
• The total number of new pedestrian crossings and the potential effect on traffic flows; and
• Ensuring parking options are available and accessible for all. 

Read the Community Engagement Report.

The revised plans

We carefully considered all the feedback and worked with our landscape architects to incorporate a number of the community’s concerns and suggestions into the amended plans.

The amended plans were presented to Council on Tuesday 9 December 2025 where they were endorsed by Councillors.

The amended plans have incorporated the following feedback from the community:

Lower John Street Precinct

• Adjusted location of the pedestrian crossing into the Camden Town Farm on the Camden Public School side, to allow for more space around the existing driveway;
• Two additional accessible parking spaces located in front of Camden Grove and close to Camden Town Farm; and
• Reinstated one additional parking space.

Central John Street Precinct

• Reinstated 18 parking spaces within the Central Precinct providing:
  • reintroduced angled parking between the Alan Baker Art Gallery and Mitchell Street;
  • 1P timed parallel parking spaces in front of the business cluster to allow for a high turnover of customers;
  • one oversized parking space in front of the business cluster to allow for (un)loading;
  • one parking space in front of the Presbyterian Church to allow for wedding and funeral vehicles ;
• Reduced size/width of raised pedestrian crossing in front of the Alan Baker Art Gallery and Camden Library.
• Removal of one of the two pedestrian crossings between the Alan Baker Art Gallery and Camden Library.

Upper John Street

• Introduce five additional parking spaces in the Upper Precinct to replace the existing taxi bay; and
• Relocation of one accessible parking space from near Argyle Street to the upper section of John Street to be closer to the medical practices;
• Adjusted location of the pedestrian crossing connecting John Street to the St John’s Anglican Church steps to retain more parking spaces in Broughton Street; and
• Extension of the scope to improve the footpath around the intersection of Broughton Street and Menangle Road.

View the endorsed plans:

• Concept plans for John Street
• 27 John Street
• Signage and Wayfinding Strategy

What’s next?

Now the plans have been endorsed by Council, we will begin the detailed design process. This is expected to take until mid-2026, after which Council will procure a contractor. Phased construction is scheduled for 2027-28.

Stay up to date

We will continue to keep the community up to date on this project.

We will also be in direct contact with businesses and residents prior to construction works commencing.

Thank you for helping shape the future of John Street!