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The NSW government has signed off on the city of Parramatta’s master plan to ramp up its housing and employment options in the central business district, but the lord mayor says the state must do more.
The Parramatta CBD Planning Proposal will see the CBD’s boundaries expanded, while the maximum height limits of both commercial and residential buildings will be increased to enable the establishment of 12,000 new dwellings and 43,000 new jobs over the next four decades.
New rules guiding development around heritage items have also been included in the expansive plan, with officials assuring residents that they’ll protect the features and less tangible facets that give the area its existing appeal.
The city, which has been developing the plan since 2013, now has its sights set on securing funding to deliver the new services and facilities to account for an expanding population.
“Over the last decade, council has worked tirelessly with the NSW government, community, landowners and developers to create a blueprint for development that acknowledges the specific needs of our unique city,” City of Parramatta lord mayor Cr Donna Davis said.
But she noted that approval of the plan is only part of what the council feels it needs from the NSW government in order to take action. A proposed increase in rates imposed on developers is still under negotiation.
“In order for the transformation of our city to be truly successful, we call on the NSW government to endorse our supporting CBD Infrastructure Contributions Plan as soon as possible,” Ms Davis said.
“This will ensure developers pay their fair share, so we have the necessary funding to deliver the infrastructure, facilities and services needed for our growing community.”
If the CBD Infrastructure Contributions Plan is not endorsed, the council says it will face a funding gap of $433 million that’s needed to make infrastructure updates to accommodate a growing population.
So far, the NSW government has rejected proposed controls for some precincts and introduced changes to the Planning Proposal that the council argues could negatively impact the number of new jobs and homes that can be delivered.
Ms Davis said that if developers don’t pay higher rates, the responsibility will be left to residents to foot the bill for community facilities and improvements to public domains and town centres.
“The future of our CBD hinges on getting these plans right, so we won’t rest until our vision for the city is realised,” Ms Davis said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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