Central City District Plan Implementation Update

Infrastructure and collaboration

Planning Priority C1 (Actions 1 – 6)
Planning Priority C2 (Action 7)

• Place-based Infrastructure Compact (PIC) Pilot: The PIC Pilot was completed for Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP). The Commission’s recommendations were provided to the NSW Government in March 2020, following public exhibition (Nov–Dec 2019). The NSW Government is now considering its response.
   
• NSW Health: Construction of the $700 million Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals Redevelopment Stage 1 & 2. Construction completion of the Westmead Central Acute Services Building, part of the $1 billion Westmead Redevelopment. Commencement of the $619 million Children's Hospital at Westmead, Stage 2 redevelopment. Rouse Hill Hospital - Stage 1 - planning underway. Construction on the Merrylands HealthOne completed (part of $100m program). Planning underway on the Bungarribee House replacement, Blacktown Hospital (part of the $700m Statewide Mental Health Infrastructure Program). Planning underway on the Bunya Unit relocation, Blacktown Hospital (part of the $700m Statewide Mental Health Infrastructure Program)⁵⁰.
   
• School Infrastructure NSW: Has 21 upgrade projects, 6 new schools are in planning or underway, and 8 upgrades and 2 new schools completed. 28 schools in the district have participated in the Share Our Space Program⁵¹.
   
• Marsden Park Public School: To accommodate up to 1,000 students approved as part of Planning Acceleration Program⁵².
   
• Local Infrastructure: In financial year 2018-19, over $270 million was received from development contributions and voluntary planning agreements which helped fund local roads, stormwater management and land for open space and community services and other public benefits⁵³.
   
• District Arts, Culture and Sport: Cricket NSW Centre of Excellence, Parramatta, training and administration facility to service both regional and metropolitan cricketers approved as part of the Planning Acceleration Program⁵⁴.

Liveability

• LHSs: LHSs are being updated or prepared by all 4 councils for their respective LGA. All Councils in the District have exhibited and approved a draft LHS and provided to DPIE for assessment and approval.
   
• 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 16,500 – 18,500 dwellings in Blacktown, 10,000-12,500 dwellings in Cumberland, 22,500 – 25,000 dwellings in Parramatta and 9,500 – 11,500 in The Hills.
   
• Streets as Shared Space Program: A state-wide pilot program has awarded grants (one-off grant funding of $15 million) to councils for temporary activation projects that support the community during COVID-19 and also test ideas for more permanent improvements to local streets, paths and public spaces. Successful projects that will be granted funding include Cumberland City Council’s pop-up park on Dunmore Street within the Wentworthville Local Centre including traffic calming, outdoor dining, art and lighting ($95,400) and the City of Parramatta’s activation of Phillip Lane including art, lighting and greenery ($100,000)⁵⁵
   
• District Arts and Culture: In December 2019 the design was selected for the New Museum of Applied Arts & Science – Powerhouse Parramatta, which will be a 24-hour culture and events precinct, with multiple transport links, integrated into the fine grain of the city⁵⁶.
   
• Places to Love Program: Blacktown is co-designing a Place Plan for the Patrick Street precinct with the community and stakeholders, including a temporary parklet⁵⁷.

Productivity

• Industrial and Employment Lands Studies: All Councils in the District have completed Industrial and Employment Land Studies/ Strategies.
   
• Parramatta Central Business District (CBD) Planning Framework Review: Parramatta has prepared the Parramatta CBD Planning Proposal that would allow for an additional capacity of 783,280 sq.m. of commercial floor space or 21,750 jobs above the potential capacity under existing controls. The combined capacity under both proposed controls and existing controls is for 50,250 additional jobs or 1,809,320 sq.m of additional commercial floor space⁵⁸.
   
• Roberts Road Data Centre, Blacktown: A data storage facility, supporting economic development, employment and training opportunities in Western Sydney, approved as part of the Planning Acceleration Program⁵⁹.
   
• Light Horse Interchange Business Hub Eastern Creek: Detailed concept proposal for the first stage of redevelopment of the site as an industrial business hub with approximately 157,600sqm industrial and light industrial floorspace, and 7,900sqm ancillary offices, approved as part of the Planning Acceleration Program⁶⁰.

Sustainability

• Parks for People Program: Upgrades to George Kendall Riverside Park in Ermington and a new park in Beaumont Hills⁶¹.
   
• Everyone Can Play: The Everyone Can Play Grant program has delivered funding for new and upgraded play spaces in Cumberland LGA, Blacktown LGA and City of Parramatta LGA⁶².
   
• Five Million Trees Program: Funding of $500,000 for tree planting programs across Blacktown and Cumberland LGAs⁶³.
   
• PIC Pilot for GPOP: Proposes a new resource recovery facility and network for providing recycled water to new homes, business and open space⁶⁴.
   
• Circular economy: Girraween Waste Recycling Transfer Facility in Cumberland with capacity to process up to 220,000 tonnes per year of general solid waste has been approved by DPIE⁶⁵.
   
• Parramatta River Foreshore: Funded by DPIE, Parramatta is developing a spatial framework for Parramatta River Foreshores with work on the River Open Space Corridor to provide continuous access extending from Sydney Olympic Park to Parramatta CBD and Parramatta Park⁶⁶.
   
• Western Sydney Parklands: Funded by NSW Government's Metropolitan Greenspace Program, Blacktown is preparing a spatial framework for Western Sydney Parklands extension and connections to establish a long-term vision for Parklands along Eastern Creek.
   
• Duck River Corridor: Cumberland is developing a masterplan for the Duck River Corridor in consultation with neighbouring Parramatta⁶⁷.
   
• Prospect Reservoir Water Pipeline Corridor: Cumberland is developing a masterplan for the Prospect Reservoir Water Pipeline Corridor in consultation with neighbouring Blacktown⁶⁸.