Place-based Infrastructure Compact

A planning model that aligns growth with infrastructure and services to transform areas.

Creating great places with new jobs and homes needed to support our growing city must be developed in an orderly way. We do this by planning for the right infrastructure and services aligned with forecasted growth in the right places, at the right time.

A Metropolis of Three Cities introduced the idea of the Place-based Infrastructure Compact (PIC) model. The model responds to the increasing costs to government and the community in providing infrastructure and services to support growth.

The PIC is a strategic planning model that looks holistically at a place to better align growth with the provision of infrastructure and services. It’s a collaborative way for NSW Government agencies, utility providers and local councils to answer critical questions for transforming areas: 

  • Can existing infrastructure be extended or improved, or is new investment needed? 
  • What will it cost?  
  • How can it be funded? 
  • When and where should it be delivered? 
  • How will this benefit people into the future? 

A PIC starts by establishing a place vision, with realistic scenarios developed over future years in the short, medium and long term. The scenarios are based on expected jobs and housing growth, and infrastructure and services to support them. They are then evaluated to identify the most cost-effective way to sequence growth between multiple precincts within an area.

A PIC establishes an evidence base for developing staging and sequencing plan for future rezonings, and a foundation for a place-based strategic business case to progress the investment lifecycle of all short to medium term capital projects required.

Summary of the Place-based Infrastructure Compact model (PDF, 841.57 KB)

PICs have been co-developed for key growth areas in each of the three cities in Greater Sydney including: 

  • Greater Parramatta to Olympic Peninsula (GPOP) 
  • The Western Sydney Aerotropolis, Greater Penrith to Eastern Creek, Austral to Glenfield corridor (Western Sydney PIC Program – Initial PIC Area)
  • Macquarie Park Innovation District

Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP)

GPOP stands for Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula. Covering 6,000-hectares of land at the core of the Central City, GPOP spans 13 km east-west from Strathfield to Westmead, and 7 km north-south from Carlingford to Lidcombe and Granville.

As one of the fastest growing areas in Greater Sydney, GPOP will continue to be a major generator of new jobs and housing in the future. For GPOP to reach its potential it must become more liveable, productive and sustainable as it grows.

Working with 20 government agencies, utility providers and Parramatta City Council, we completed an 18-month pilot of the PIC. The result was a clear understanding of what is needed, and the costs to support growth and create great places for the community and businesses.

The PIC was exhibited in November to December 2019 and feedback received was summarised in the Consultation outcomes report (PDF, 1.23 MB). The final recommendations were submitted to the NSW Government in March 2020. The final recommendations and the NSW Government’s response can now be viewed on the Department of Planning and Environment’s website: Greater Parramatta and Olympic Peninsula.

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Western Sydney PIC Program – Initial PIC Area

The Western Parkland City is growing and we need to think carefully about what, where and when infrastructure is needed for people who live, work, play and do business in the city.

As a commitment in the Western Sydney City Deal, we led the delivery of the Place-based Infrastructure Compact (PIC) program for the initial PIC area covering 36,000 hectares of land in the centre of the Western Parkland City.

Working with more than 30 government agencies, utility providers and councils, the Commission completed a two-year PIC comprising of three key areas for future growth:

  • The Western Sydney Aerotropolis Growth Area
  • Greater Penrith to Eastern Creek
  • The Austral to Glenfield corridor.

The PIC was exhibited in November 2020 to February 2021 and feedback received were summarised in the Consultation outcomes report (PDF, 93.18 KB).

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Macquarie Park

The Macquarie Park Innovation District is situated to the northwest of Sydney’s CBD. It is the largest non-CBD office market in the country and the fourth largest employment centre in Greater Sydney. The corridor stretches from Macquarie University to the north to North Ryde Metro Station in the south. It offers a world class university, a major shopping centre, a hospital, and a high-tech employment hub. 

We led the development of the Macquarie Park Strategic Infrastructure and Services Assessment (SISA). The SISA used key steps from the PIC model to strategically understand the infrastructure and services needed to support both recent and future growth and change across the 350-hectare district. 

The SISA supported the development of the Macquarie Park Innovation Precinct Place Strategy (Place Strategy) and Macquarie Park Innovation Precinct Strategic Master Plan (Master Plan) prepared by the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE). 

The draft report was publicly exhibited for comment in July and August 2021, and the feedback received was considered in the preparation of the final report released in September 2022.

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