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All Current and Past Media Releases
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Media Release - Minister's Office Sydney: 13 December 2004 KEEPING COMMUNITIES IN A GROWING CITY The NSW Minister for Infrastructure, Planning & Natural Resources said today that working with local councils and communities to plan where population growth would occur in existing parts of Sydney would be the next important step toward a Metropolitan Plan.
“The Sydney region is growing by a thousand people a week.
“That means that over the next three decades, an additional 640,000 new homes will need to be provided.
“The NSW Government’s Plan for Land Release in North West and South West Sydney, released last week, has relieved some of that pressure for existing suburbs.
“Over the next 25 to 30 years around 222,000 new homes will be provided in those ‘greenfield’ areas.
“That means that we have to plan for the balance – around 60 to 70 per cent – to be incorporated into existing areas.
“We need to plan now to ensure that growth in existing areas is balanced and appropriate to each suburb’s character and capacity.
“Over the last few months we’ve spoken to hundreds of Sydneysiders as part of our consultation process.
“What has been encouraging is the realistic and constructive approach they have taken to looking at how the population should grow in urbanised areas.
“Issues such as transport, local amenity, access to open spaces, and access to services are all key messages that we have to incorporate into future planning,” said Mr Knowles.
“We want to replicate the type of model that we talked about last week in relation to the new land release areas and focus on making sure our existing suburbs remain real communities.
“For suburbs that are going to grow we should still have neighbourhoods where you can walk to the local shops, get easy access to the bus or train, and where you have a park or open space close by.”
Mr Knowles said that early projections had broken the existing city up into six broad regions based on housing and employment markets, and also incorporated transport links and local characteristics such as climate, landscape and architectural style.
“On this basis the majority of growth is likely to occur in the east central and west central regions. Lower growth is projected in the south and in particular in the north where the amount of land conserved as parkland has a significant impact.
“Exactly how population growth in existing areas can be appropriately managed will obviously need to be planned in partnership with local councils and communities.
”We want to create certainty for communities and investors alike. This means have to plan for where growth can occur, and where it can be ‘switched off’.
“Some suburbs have done enough. Councils will be able to set limits on the extent of consolidation of suburban streets where it can be demonstrated that the regional share of growth is being met, and where housing for older people is provided for.
“As another step to reduce pressure on suburbs it is proposed that:
- Growth in existing areas should be concentrated around centres and corridors - Higher buildings should be located in regional centres - Town centres should be developed close to public transport - Where areas have accommodated their fair share of growth, that the focus be shifted to bringing in more jobs and economic development opportunities.
“Sydney is the powerhouse of our nation. It has an economy the size of the whole of New Zealand and a lifestyle which is the envy of the world.
“The overwhelming message from the community is that they love Sydney – and more particularly their own part of Sydney.
“The challenge is now to keep on growing without losing all the things we love and want future generations to enjoy,” said Mr Knowles.
© NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources
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