Local Council Say Gov Need To Recognise Parramatta City’s Importance In Sydney Plan

Parramatta is quickly becoming a city centre in its own right, with the local government now calling on the state to recognise its importance to the Greater Sydney area.

In a submission on the NSW government’s draft Sydney Plan, the City of Parramatta asked the state to strengthen the vision of its land use plan over the next two decades, as well as its ongoing commitments to infrastructure investment, and a renewed focus on growing jobs in the area. 

Guiding the government’s 20-year strategic land use plan to manage growth, the Sydney Plan addresses housing, infrastructure, jobs, sustainability across 33 local government areas.

Parramatta Lord Mayor Martin Zaiter says that while the draft Sydney Plan identifies Parramatta as one of Sydney’s three CBDs, there’s still an opportunity to enhance the Plan through a stronger alignment to Parramatta’s 2050 vision.

“The next era of Parramatta’s transformation is right on our doorstep, and it is vital that we work in collaboration with the State Government to ensure the draft Sydney Plan includes the building blocks to make our vision a reality,” he said.

“While it recognises Parramatta as a CBD, as it stands the draft lacks vision with no clear long-term housing and employment targets, and no commitments to jobs growth or future major transport links beyond Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2A.

“Council has a goal of 150,000 additional jobs by 2050, and there is a clear missed opportunity in the draft Sydney Plan to join with Council in taking the next steps towards planning for this.”

“Pivotal time” in Parramatta’s transformation, says Mayor

The number of people calling Parramatta home is expected to overtake Sydney’s north-western areas in the coming years, with an estimated population of 450,000 by 2050. Mayor Zaiter emphasised that the final Plan must balance housing and jobs growth to help support long-term economic growth and opportunities for the expanding communities of Western Sydney.

“Council has a strong track record of working in collaboration with the NSW Government to strategically plan for and deliver major infrastructure for Parramatta,” he said. 

“But we haven’t come this far to risk stalling now. This is a pivotal time in the transformation of Parramatta, and we invite the State Government to continue to work with us to deliver on our vision.”

The council have written to the state government requesting a meeting with Planning Minister Paul Scully to discuss opportunities to strengthen the final Sydney Plan, supported by a formal submission to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.

Parramatta is already a vital part of Sydney’s productivity and culture. In July, the first Western Sydney Arts Strategy in more than 25 years was announced, promising a $2 million arts festival and more opportunities for artists and creatives in the area.

Data released last year also found that Western Sydney is outperforming the inner-city in both business growth and night-time, in-person spending, with Parramatta sitting at a 14 per cent increase.