Penrith beach opens to the public in Western Sydney in time for summer heatwave as it's dubbed 'Pondi'

A new man-made beach has opened in western Sydney to mixed reviews as temperatures soar across the city. 

Already dubbed 'Pondi' by locals in reference to the iconic Bondi beach in the city's eastern suburbs, Penrith beach opened to the public early Tuesday morning.

Visitors have flocked to the new site as the local temperature was forecast to hit a sweltering 38 degrees on Tuesday afternoon. 

All of its 700 parking spots had reportedly been pre-booked days in advance. 

The new swimming spot is located just a few kilometres from Penrith's CBD and will be much more convenient for locals looking to cool off in the summer heat than travelling to popular beaches in the city's east. 

Adam Leto, CEO of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, said the site – which has a shoreline as long as Bondi Beach and a backdrop of the Blue Mountains – has been years in the making.

'This is a historic day, after many years of advocacy and battles with bureaucracy, this pristine watering hole is finally open to the public – hopefully it's just the start of things to come,' Mr Leto told Nine News.

'This transformational project will provide much-needed access to safe, clean and cooling recreation, and is truly a win for the West.'

The beach is located in the area of Castlereagh on the western Sydney lakes system and is the result of a $1.7million NSW government investment.

The new swimming spot will come as a relief for residents in the city's west given Penrith was designated the hottest place on Earth in 2020.

Penrith regularly cops temperatures 10 degrees hotter than the city's eastern suburbs.

Kids testing the beach during a sneak preview in November gave it rave reviews. 

'We love there's not huge waves actually,' said local Katrina Patridge.

But not every local said they were keen to go for a swim there, given the extraordinary temperatures the area suffers at the height of summer.

'Last place I'd want to go on a 40-degree day (would be) Penrith beach, and I live out west,' one said.

Some social media users were also cynical about the new beach.

'Literally a few loads of sand dumped by the lake and there's "Penrith beach",' one comment read. 

'That's not a beach that's a pond lol Penrith pond hahaha,' another said. 

While a third said they would 'rather drive 40 min to the ocean where it's 10 degrees cooler as well'.  

The beach will be open from 7am to 7pm each day except for Christmas Day and New Year's Day and visitors will be able to drive there, if they register in advance.