NSW gov’t throws $500m at Western Sydney rebuilds

The NSW government says that two revitalised town centres and thousands more homes are on the way for Western Sydney.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the projects were fast-tracked through the NSW Government’s Planning System Acceleration Program and will help create better-connected and more liveable communities across Western Sydney.

“Combined, these projects will deliver more than 2,000 new homes, inject $500 million into the local economy and create 1,000 local jobs during construction,” says Berejiklian.

“This is about bringing new life and vibrancy back into these town centres and creating well-connected communities so more people can live closer to where they work.”

The four planning approvals include:

• $326 million upgrade to the Villawood Town Centre to transform existing lots into a vibrant mixed-use precinct;
• $173.9 million facelift of the Fairfield Heights Town Centre to breathe new life into its high street with increased building heights and floorspace;
• changes to the Auburn Local Environment Plan to allow an existing warehouse site to be converted to office space in Silverwater; and
• changes to Parramatta’s Local Environmental Plan to enable further housing and improved pedestrian access near Parkes Street, Harris Park.

NSW Planning and Public Spaces minister Rob Stokes says “The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a shift in economic activity to our suburbs and local centres as more people work from home and avoid commuting into traditional city CBDs.”

“These new town centres seek to create and reinvigorate the existing retail and street frontages, unlocking the potential of our high streets and encouraging the creation of local economies across Western Sydney closer to where people live.”

These four planning approvals build on several other projects in Western Sydney that have been fast-tracked through the Planning System Acceleration Program that is fast-tracking planning assessments to keep people in jobs and the economy moving during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Western Sydney projects approved through the program include:

Image:  Artist impression of Parkes St in Parramatta / NSW gov't.