Residents to co-design $1m Elyard Street safety project

Residents of Narellan will decide exactly how $1 million is spent to make Elyard Street safer for women, girls and gender diverse people, after Camden Council accepted the Safer Cities: Her Way 2 grant on 14 July 2026.

The funding will pay for better lighting, upgraded bus stops and public art, but the final design is not yet set. Instead, council will run community workshops and “walkshops” to understand how locals experience the area after dark, with the results directly shaping what gets built.

Camden Mayor Cr Therese Fedeli said the project was about creating public spaces where everyone feels welcome at any hour.

“This investment is about creating places where everyone feels safe, comfortable and confident to walk, catch public transport and spend time, no matter the time of day,” Cr Fedeli said.

“By working directly with our community throughout the design process, we’ll be able to deliver meaningful improvements that respond to local experiences and enhance the way people use and enjoy the Elyard Street precinct.”

The grant comes from Transport for NSW’s Safer Cities: Her Way 2 Program, which partners with councils on projects that lift the perception of safety in public spaces and transport hubs. The program focuses particularly on the needs of women, girls and gender diverse people when walking, cycling or catching public transport.

Elyard Street runs between Narellan Library, Elyard Reserve and the town centre, making it a heavily used pedestrian corridor. Council’s Project Narellan Vision and Action Plan, adopted in October 2025, flagged the need for safer walking connections, more street lighting and public art. The new funding directly answers those priorities.

The upcoming workshops and walkshops will invite women, girls and gender diverse people to walk the precinct with project planners and point out sections that feel unsafe, poorly lit or uncomfortable. That feedback will set the final scope for where lights go, what art is commissioned and how bus stops are upgraded.

A common misunderstanding is that the design is already finalised. The council has stressed that the community co-design phase comes first, meaning construction is still some time away. Residents with safety concerns are urged to watch for consultation session dates and join a walkshop if they can. It is the most direct way to influence the final layout.

With the grant formally accepted, council is expected to announce consultation dates in the second half of 2026. The project is the first Safer Cities initiative in the Camden local government area, a sign of how the region’s rapid growth is being matched by a push for genuinely inclusive public spaces.