Duck River Nature Trail

The Duck River Nature Trail Project proposes to unlock beautiful natural areas of saltmarsh and mangrove that are currently hidden away. To be delivered in three stages, the project is designed to allow the community to safely walk and cycle alongside Duck River and encounter remarkable bird life and native animal species. 

One of the City of Parramatta’s most ambitious projects for 2024 to 2028, the Duck River Nature Trail creates a walking and cycling network alongside Duck River, connecting the M4 Shared Path and Parramatta River foreshore path network. 

The Duck River is the most significant north-south watercourse in Parramatta, and connects the City of Parramatta with the City of Canterbury Bankstown and Cumberland City.

South of the western rail line in Cumberland, the river is within regional scale parklands comprised of formal and informal sporting fields, as well as large areas of natural vegetation.

North of the rail line in Parramatta it is more industrial in nature until it reaches Silverwater Park at the confluence with the Parramatta River, with many businesses still using Duck River to transport their wares.

This transformative project will provide more than 4.5km of off-road walking and cycling paths delivering a combination of concrete paths, boardwalks, raised platforms and a bridge to allow everyone in the community to walk and ride along both sides of Duck River and appreciate its natural beauty, ecology, and rich heritage. Key project elements include:

Eastern River Bank:

• Just over 1km of separated bike paths and footpaths along the streets of Silverwater where the Duck River foreshore is inaccessible
• New street trees, lighting and raised priority crossings at all streets.
• Almost 2km of boardwalk and concrete shared path along the river corridor and in Silverwater Park. 

Western River Bank:

• A 5m wide, 35m long pedestrian and cyclist bridge over Duck Creek
• Just under a kilometre of boardwalk and generous shared paths adjacent to the river corridor.

The $28.5+ million Duck River Nature Trail Project is funded by the NSW Government in association with City of Parramatta. Funded through the Western Sydney Infrastructure Grant Program and Transport for New South Wales’ Get Active NSW, the project is expected to open in three stages from 2026 to 2028.

Photographers White-bellied Sea eagle - Mark Fuller; Striped Marsh Frog - Mark Fuller; Red-Browed Finch - Mark Fuller; Satin Bowerbird - Mark Fuller; Grey-headed Flying Fox - Ofer Levy

Latest news – May 2025

Duck River Nature Trail – Stage 1 temporary path closures

Work on Council’s ambitious three-stage Duck River Nature Trail project is taking shape, with Stage 1 construction works underway.

Focussed on Silverwater Park, construction works will mean that the path leading from Silverwater Road into Silverwater Park will be temporarily closed – note the paths on both sides of Silverwater Bridge will remain open.

Pedestrians and cyclists will need to use the signposted detour for one week from Monday 19 to Tuesday 27 May 2025.

Duck River Nature Trail – Stage 1 taking shape

Work on Council’s ambitious three-stage Duck River Nature Trail project is taking shape, with Stage 1 construction works underway.

Focussed on Silverwater Park, to date, work on Stage 1 has included locating and marking out underground utilities, establishing the location for 11 new trees, and excavating the pedestrian and cycling paths in preparation for the concrete pour.

Early works for the installation of new light poles has begun, while the accessible drinking station with dog bowl, and the bike maintenance rack have been installed.

Construction works will mean that the path leading from Silverwater Road into Silverwater Park will be temporarily closed – note the paths on both sides of Silverwater Bridge will remain open.

Pedestrians and cyclists will need to use the signposted detour for one week from Monday 19 to Tuesday 27 May 2025.

Once all three stages are complete, the cyclist and pedestrian path will link to other popular paths including the M4 Shared Path. The community will be able to enjoy walking and cycling along both sides of Duck River taking in the saltmarsh and mangrove vegetation which acts as a unique habitat for a variety of native birds and animals.

The upgraded park is expected to open to the public in September (subject to site conditions and weather).

The $28.5 Duck River Nature Trail project is proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with City of Parramatta.

Stage 1
The concept design for Stage 1 of the Duck River Nature Trail (Silverwater Park) was on public exhibition in late-2024. City of Parramatta received around 100 submissions.

For more information please visit the Participate Parramatta Duck River Nature Trail page 

Stage 1 of the project is planned to begin construction in late-March 2025, with the park planned to open to the public in September 2025 (subject to weather and site conditions).

Stage 2
The community was invited to provide feedback on Stage 2 of the Duck River Nature Trail (Silverwater Streets) from early-February to mid-March 2025.

Community consultation focussed on Stage 2 as the critical link between Stage 1 (Silverwater Park) and Stage 3 (Duck River).  The proposed enhancements to the Silverwater street network facilitate community access to the Duck River.

Stage 2 includes new pedestrian/cyclist paths, lighting, tree planting, elevated pedestrian crossings and changes to traffic flow to reduce traffic on streets which are planned to become part of the Duck River Nature Trail.

City of Parramatta received more than 55 submissions and 28 pin and post comments on the interactive map which provided detail on the planned improvements associated with the Duck River Nature Trail Stage 2 and invited feedback.

Construction on Duck River Nature Trail Stage 2 is expected to begin in late 2025.

For more information on the project, please visit the Participate Parramatta Duck River Nature Trail page