A new Collaroy public artwork inspired by marine life is being developed for Collaroy Rockpool, alongside a second installation planned for Bert Payne Reserve in Newport.
NBC confirmed the two commissions on 29 October 2026, appointing Cave Urban to create Ebb & Flow at Collaroy and Jake Nash, working with Tilt Industrial Design, to develop Gathering at Newport. Both artworks are expected to be installed in 2027.
Collaroy Public Artwork Inspired By Marine Life
Ebb & Flow will be an integrated artwork drawing on marine species and the changing coastal environment around Collaroy Rockpool, at the southern end of Collaroy Beach. The Collaroy project plans identify the pool’s sunbathing steps, railing and retaining walls as potential areas for the installation. The final design and precise placement have not yet been established.
Cave Urban, founded in 2010, is a multidisciplinary studio working across public art, architecture and installations. Its practice includes projects developed in collaboration with communities, incorporating local landscapes and stories into site-specific designs. More than 130 people contributed ideas during consultation on the Collaroy proposal. NBC used the feedback to help prepare the artist brief before the commissioning process. Installation is expected to start in July 2027 and finish in August 2027.
Gathering Planned For Newport Reserve
The second commission, Gathering, is being developed by artist Jake Nash and Tilt Industrial Design for Bert Payne Reserve in Newport. Nash, a descendant of the Daly River people, has spent more than two decades living and working on Eora Country. His artistic background extends across theatre, dance, film and public sculpture.
His work examines relationships between people, places and movement, drawing on geological formations and natural materials, including sandstone and oyster shells. Tilt Industrial Design is contributing its expertise in industrial design, engineering, architecture and public art to the Newport commission. Design development is underway, with installation expected to begin in late April 2027 and finish in June 2027. More than 50 people provided feedback during the project’s consultation stage.
Coast Walk Artworks: Installation Schedule
Collaroy: Ebb & Flow
Artist: Cave Urban
Site: Collaroy Rockpool
Expected start: July 2027
Expected finish: August 2027
Newport: Gathering
Artists: Jake Nash and Tilt Industrial Design
Site: Bert Payne Reserve
Expected start: Late April 2027
Expected finish: June 2027
Source: Northern Beaches Council, 29 October 2026. Installation periods are indicative and subject to change.
Coast Walk Program Nearing Final Commissions
The two installations belong to the Coast Walk Public Art Program, which forms part of the broader 36-kilometre coastal route planned between Manly and Palm Beach. NBC adopted the public art strategy in May 2019. Six artworks have since been installed at locations including Freshwater, Narrabeen, Avalon Beach, Long Reef Headland, and the Mona Vale and Long Reef surf lifesaving clubs.
The program commissions artworks connected to the Northern Beaches coastline, its history and cultural heritage, with installations incorporated into different sections of the coastal walking experience. The Collaroy and Newport commissions are among the remaining public art projects under the program, with a final artwork planned for Long Reef. NBC has confirmed that the two new installations are funded through merger savings rather than NBC rates.
Published 2-November-2026
