A strategic vision and proposed approach to infrastructure contributions for key precincts within the Western Sydney Aerotropolis (WSA) and Western Parkland City (WPC) has been released. Public submissions on the exhibited documents will close on 18 December 2020.
Snapshot
- NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) is exhibiting draft precinct plans that set out the strategic vision for five precincts in the WSA, as well as a proposal to impose a special infrastructure contribution (SIC) in the WSA.
- Greater Sydney Commission (GSC) is exhibiting a draft paper for an initial Place-based Infrastructure Compact (Compact) area in the WPC.
- Stakeholders and members of the public can make submissions or comment on the exhibited documents until 18 December 2020.
Draft WSA precinct plans
The State Environmental Planning Policy (Western Sydney Aerotropolis) 2020 (NSW) (SEPP) requires each precinct of the WSA to have a precinct plan that sets out the strategic vision for, the proposed land uses in, and the performance criteria for development in the precinct.
Precinct plans are important because under the SEPP, development consent can only be granted to development that is consistent with the applicable precinct plan.
DPIE has released draft precinct plans for five of the initial precincts in the WSA, being the Aerotropolis Core, Badgerys Creek, Wianamatta–South Creek, Northern Gateway and Agribusiness precincts.
The draft precinct plans are available here.
Proposed WSA SIC
A SIC is a contribution that a condition of a development consent can require a developer to make towards the provision of infrastructure (e.g. major roads, open space and educational facilities).
DPIE is proposing to impose a SIC for all residential and non-residential development within the WSA Special Contributions Area. However, initially the proposed SIC will apply to development applications and complying developments relating to land in a Mixed Use, Enterprise, Industrial or Agribusiness zones in the six initial WSA precincts, and then ultimately across all WSA precincts.
The proposed SIC includes a charge calculated per hectare of net developable area ($500,000 in a Mixed Use zone and $200,000 in the other three zones, indexed annually). For land within around 1.2 km of the proposed Aerotropolis and Luddenham Stations, a charge will also be calculated as a percentage of the cost of the development (2% in a Mixed Use zone and 1% in an Enterprise zone).
Information about the proposed SIC is available here.
Initial Compact for WPC
Under the Western Sydney City Deal between the Commonwealth, NSW and eight Western Sydney local governments, the NSW Government committed to establish compacts to coordinate the planning and delivery of new housing supply and infrastructure in the WPC.
The GSC has released a draft Compact for an initial area centred around the proposed WSA metro line. The Compact sets out a high-level sequencing plan emphasising the need to be selective about where, when and what to invest.
The draft Compact is available here.
Next steps
You can make a submission on the draft WSA precinct plans and the proposed WSA SIC via the NSW Planning Portal. You can also comment on the initial Compact via the Have Your Say portal.
Public submission and comments on the exhibited documents will close on 18 December 2020.
By Peter Briggs, Partner, Tom Dougherty, Senior Associate and Zhongwei Wang, Solicitor.
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