Western City District Plan Implementation Update

Infrastructure and collaboration

• Western Sydney City Deal: The Australian and NSW Government jointly announced Stage 1 of the Sydney Metro (Western Sydney Airport) project (June 2020), which will provide a new rail connection from St Marys to Western Sydney Airport and the Aerotropolis. Rail for the Western Parkland City is one of the commitments of the Western Sydney City Deal. Read the overview of the status of the 38 City Deal commitments¹²¹.
   
• Place Infrastructure Compact (PIC): A PIC is being developed for the Aerotropolis by the Commission. The initial work focuses on 28 precincts around the Aerotropolis, Greater Penrith to Eastern Creek and the corridor from Austral to Glenfield. The Western Sydney PIC Program was released in November 2020 for public feedback¹²².
   
• NSW Health: Early works are underway for the $740 million Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct. The Nepean Cancer Centre and a childcare centre have been completed as part of the $1 billion Nepean Hospital redevelopment. Stage 2 is underway of the $632 million Campbelltown Hospital redevelopment. Construction of the Campbelltown Stage 2 Multi-Storey Car Park has been completed. NSW Health has carried out robust planning as to how ICU capacity will be increased if required to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. NSW Health increased the capacity of virtual care services, such as telehealth and hospital in the home, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic¹²³.
   
• School Infrastructure NSW: 21 upgrade projects and 9 new schools in planning or underway and 13 upgrades and 3 new schools recently completed. There are 76 schools in the district that have participated to date in the Share Our Space Program¹²⁴.
   
• Local Infrastructure: In 2018-19 more than $ 130 million was received from development contributions and voluntary planning agreements to help fund local roads, stormwater management and land for open space and community services and other public benefits¹²⁵.

Liveability

• LHSs: Being prepared by all 8 councils for their respective LGAs. A draft LHS for Blue Mountains is being assessed by DPIE. Draft LHSs for Wollondilly, Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown have been publicly exhibited but not yet sent to DPIE for endorsement. Draft LHSs for Camden and Fairfield are expected to be exhibited later in 2020, consistent with the short term action in their LSPSs.
   
• 6-10 year housing targets: As part of their LHSs councils are to show how they can meet an indicative draft range for 6-10 year housing targets (2021/22 - 2025/26) of 550-600 dwellings in the Blue Mountains, 10,000-12,500 dwellings in Camden, 7,100-7,500 dwellings in Campbelltown, 3,000-3,800 in Fairfield, 11,000-12,500 dwellings in Liverpool, 7,500-10,000 dwellings in Penrith and 1,800-2,300 dwellings in Wollondilly.
   
• Streets as Shared Space Program: A state-wide pilot program providing funding (one-off grant funding of $15 million) for councils to increase walkable access to quality open, green and public space in urban areas. Fairfield received a $100,000 grant for the Healthy, Active Fairfield Pop up Park and Activation Program and Campbelltown received a $1,000,000 grant for the Queen Street Shared Space¹²⁶.
   
• Liveability Fund: 28 local infrastructure projects are being delivered through the $190 million Western Parkland City Liveability Program, established under the Western Sydney City Deal and funded by the three levels of Government. In June 2020 Wollondilly Shire Council opened a new skate park in Appin, the first project completed under the Program. Sod-turnings were also held in 2020 for construction of a new Billabong Parklands at Campbelltown and an all-abilities playground at Deerbush Park, Fairfield¹²⁷.

Productivity

• Industrial and Employment Lands Studies: Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Liverpool and Penrith have completed Industrial/Employment Lands Studies and Strategies. Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield and Wollondilly are preparing Industrial/Employment Lands Studies and Strategies. Campbelltown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Penrith and Wollondilly have lodged Stage 1 LEP Review Planning Proposals.
   
• Western Sydney Freight Line: Stage 1 corridor was protected in July 2020. The dedicated freight line will run from the Outer Sydney Orbital near Luddenham to the M7 Motorway, reducing congestion on local roads and allowing the transport of container and bulk freight by rail across Western Sydney linking growing industrial areas and distribution centres, including supporting the Western Sydney freight intermodal terminal within the Mamre Road Precinct¹²⁸.
   
• Western Sydney Aerotropolis: Plan was finalised in September 2020. The final planning package includes a Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan, State Environmental Planning Policy (Western Sydney Aerotropolis) 2020 which established land use zones and a Development Control Plan¹²⁹.
   
• MOUs: The NSW Government entered into 18 memorandums of understanding with multinational entities, to provide input into the creation of the Aerotropolis and attract job-creating investment¹³⁰.
   
• Health and Education Precincts: A land use analysis and Masterplan for the Liverpool Innovation Precinct was released in October 2019, together with ICT and Investment Strategies. These aim to boost the profile of and attract investment to the Liverpool Innovation Precinct¹³¹. Health and education precincts are also progressing in Penrith and Campbelltown.
   
• Reimagining Campbelltown CBD Strategy: In April 2020, the Reimagining Campbelltown CBD Masterplan was released, outlining a vision and actions that will support Campbelltown realise its potential as a strong and prosperous centre¹³².
   
• Richmond and Windsor Masterplan: In August 2020, Hawkesbury Council released the draft Masterplan and Public Domain Plan, Liveability Project, Revitalising Our Town Centres of Richmond, South Windsor and Windsor. This project was funded by the Australian and NSW Governments and Hawkesbury through the Western Sydney City Deal¹³³.
   
• New centres: Will be planned around stations on the Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport line - at Orchard Hills, Luddenham and the Aerotropolis Core.
   
• Western Sydney Investment Attraction Fund: Has been established to support business and jobs growth in the Western City District and unlock new investment¹³⁴.

Sustainability

• Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan: The draft Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan was released for consultation in August 2020. The draft Plan identifies strategically important biodiversity areas within the Cumberland subregion to offset the biodiversity impacts of future urban development¹³⁵.
   
• Five Million Trees Program: Funding of $1.42 million in 2018-19 for tree planting programs across 5 LGAs in the District¹³⁶.
   
• Rural land strategy: Penrith has exhibited a draft Rural Lands and Villages Strategy. Camden will implement the Rural Lands Strategy it adopted in November 2018 and Blue Mountains has an adopted its Rural Lands Study from 2012. Hawkesbury has commenced work on a Rural Lands Strategy. Liverpool and Wollondilly propose to prepare a Rural Lands Strategy. Campbelltown and Fairfield do not propose to do a Rural Lands Strategy.
   
• Hawkesbury-Nepean Regional Flood Study: A regional flood study was prepared with up-to-date information and maps, with up-to-date data and modelling, which will support local level flood planning and inform development of flood mitigation and evacuation options¹³⁷.
   
• Scenic Southern Escarpment: A Masterplan for the priority Green Grid corridor was adopted by Blue Mountains City Council. This was prepared with $200,000 in funding from the NSW Government's Metropolitan Greenspace Program. Work is underway to improve facilities at Echo Point and a new meeting space is being created in consultation with Traditional Owners¹³⁸.

• Ropes Creek: Work on a spatial framework for Fairfield LGA section the Ropes Creek priority Green Grid Corridor is underway, with $200,000 in funding from the NSW Government's Metropolitan Greenspace Program¹³⁹.
   
• Penrith Green Grid Strategy: Underway, with $400,000 in funding NSW Government's Metropolitan Greenspace Program to identify and evaluate local Green Grid and green infrastructure priority connections, sections and enhancements, and identify priority actions to deliver the Green Grid¹⁴⁰.
• Georges River Parklands Chipping Norton Lakes: Green Grid Priority Project rehabilitation funded and work underway for Simmos Beach along riparian corridor in Macquarie Fields in partnership with Georges Riverkeeper and NSW Government; expected completion June 2021¹⁴¹.