It’s a much-loved part of Sydney’s inner east:Rushcutters Bay Park,a green oasis in the valley between Kings Cross and Edgecliff,at the base of the yacht-filled bay. But Colin Finn,who is undertaking a PhD in urban studies and just pitched his solution at the Sydney Summit,says it’s not long for this world.
By 2050 the park will be badly affected by climate change and rising sea levels,Finn says,“and by 2100 it’s going to be gone”. The default response will be to erect a “great big grey concrete wall”.
Finn’s alternative solution involves a small dose of self-sacrifice. By recreating the foreshore wetlands,we would create a natural safety net – a “living defence” – between ocean and land.
This would involve bringing back mangroves and oyster reefs all along the foreshore,naturalising and widening the canal that runs through the park and into the back of Paddington,and elevating the park itself.
For those aghast at the thought of pungent mangroves lining the park,Finn says the bay is going to change one way or another along with the climate. He believes Rushcutters can lead the way.
“Then we scale up,” he says. Chowder Bay,the Cooks River and the big one:Iron Cove. “If we can do it in Rushcutters,we can do it everywhere,” says Finn.