City of Ryde Council chooses Fleetwood MARSTM to complete missing link along Parramatta River foreshore

150 metres may not seem very far, especially when it comes to a 12km public walkway. But research conducted by Ryde Council has shown a mere 150-metre gap is deterring many residents and commuters from using the otherwise continuous Ryde Riverwalk along the picturesque Parramatta River.

This ‘missing link’ is located at Tennyson Point, roughly halfway between Gladesville Bridge and Ryde Bridge. Currently riverwalk users are diverted away from the foreshore and up a steep stairway into local streets. While only a small distance, it’s certainly been posing big community access problems for some years. So, we’re delighted Ryde Council has once again turned to Fleetwood to help deliver the solution, in what will be our 17th project together in the last six years. We really are pleased to have built such a strong and ongoing relationship.

Back to the future.

For us, the project is very much a case of ‘back to the future’, as we actually delivered a section of the original Ryde Riverwalk which opened to the public in 2008. This time we’ll be using our in-house MARS™ boardwalk system to complete the missing 150-metre section – in doing so, providing a seamless experience for cyclists, walkers and joggers along the entire Paramatta River foreshore.

Economical meets ecological.

Ryde Council have been very clear in their brief, insisting the new structure (and the works required to install it) must be as ecologically sensitive as possible. This is where our lightweight MARS™ boardwalk system really comes into its own. Time and again, MARS™ has proven to be the ideal choice for environmentally sensitive locations as it’s easy to assemble on-site and has little to no impact on the surrounding environment during installation. Made almost entirely from fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) it also offers outstanding durability in wet and swampy conditions, significantly reducing the need for disruptive ongoing maintenance once installed.

A jewel for everyone to enjoy.

When the new riverwalk project was approved back in late 2019, City of Ryde Mayor, Councillor Jerome Laxale, explained the decision was a major win for the local community. “The Parramatta River belongs to everybody,” he said. “By completing the missing link of the Ryde Riverwalk, we are opening up our jewel to everyone. The Ryde Riverwalk is one of Sydney’s great waterfront walks and building its missing link will not only improve this fantastic outdoor space but also ensure the entire community can access this picturesque part of the Parramatta River.”

As a Fleetwood Urban Project Manager, it was fantastic to hear Councillor Laxale’s words. Projects like the Ryde Riverwalk really are the perfect embodiment of our long-held company vision – ‘Inspire people to love the outdoors’ – as we’re helping to provide a vital missing access link so more people can get outside and explore their own backyard, safely and easily.



When the new section is complete, the full 12km Ryde Riverwalk will be something for the whole community to enjoy, more than ever before, because they’ll no longer have to break up their journey by diverting away from the waterfront.

You can see more of our MARS™ boardwalks projects here.

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