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A well-connected city
Planning Priority C7
Growing a stronger and more competitive Greater Parramatta
The vision for Greater Sydney as a metropolis of three cities - the Western Parkland City, the Central River City and the Eastern Harbour City - seeks to deliver a more productive region. This will be achieved by driving opportunities for investment, business and jobs growth; supporting economic diversity; supporting internationally competitive industry sectors; and rebalancing the region's eastern economic focus so that all three cities benefit from growth.
The urban structure to support the metropolis of three cities needs to ensure people have access to a large number and range of jobs and services delivering a well-connected city - a 30-minute city.
A well-connected Greater Sydney will contribute to productivity by improving efficiency in supply chains and reducing business costs; increasing access to markets; enhancing access to large numbers of skilled workers; and enhancing business-to-business interactions.
Metropolitan and strategic centres provide 50 per cent of all Greater Sydney's jobs and therefore play a significant role in providing jobs close to home. When larger local centres are considered, this increases to 68 per cent. Facilitating the growth of new metropolitan strategic and local centres will be an important outcome in growing jobs.
The Central City District forms the majority of the Central River City. It is the fastest growing district in Greater Sydney, with record levels of population growth, infrastructure and investment transforming the economy.
In the 10-year period between 2006 and 2016, the Central River City experienced the highest rate of jobs growth in Greater Sydney - 2.2 per cent per annum - compared with the average 1.7 per cent per annum across the region.
The urban structure of the Central River City enables a single metropolitan centre. Greater Parramatta sits at the heart of the Central River City. It is a growing centre with an increasing range of jobs and services. It is in a strong position to attract a critical mass of knowledge-intensive businesses, health and educational institutions, convention facilities, and retail, leisure, art and cultural experiences.
Greater Parramatta and the Olympic Peninsula (GPOP) is being supported by a $10 billion investment in city-scale assets9. Along with potential new transport connections, the corridor will be boosted by faster connections to skilled labour markets and the surrounding centres of Macquarie Park, Norwest and Bankstown. A growth infrastructure compact - which assesses growth scenarios for optimal land use, infrastructure investment and community benefits - will help to achieve this.
Figure 15: Central City District job density.
Source: Greater Sydney Commission, 2016 Productivity Profile
The health and education and advanced manufacturing sectors are the biggest contributors to economic growth and jobs creation in the District. Westmead has the largest health and education precinct in Greater Sydney with hospitals, universities, research institutions and allied health services. Other important health precincts are in Blacktown and Norwest. In addition, the NSW Government has identified the need for a future hospital in the north west.
The Central City District together with the Western City District have the largest amount of industrial and urban services land in Greater Sydney.
Industrial and urban services land in Cumberland and Parramatta has great locational advantages being in the heart of Greater Sydney with access to various distribution catchments and freight assets. This land is well-positioned to support innovation and attract investment in more knowledge-intensive and high-value industry sectors. The transition from traditional industrial to advanced manufacturing and innovation industries will further boost productivity.
Blacktown is strategically located to benefit from, and serve, both the Central and Western Cities. Improved transport connections to GPOP and the Western economic corridor will enhance Blacktown's role in contributing to the productivity of both cities.
A Metropolis of Three Cities identifies a range of locations where employment and economic growth should occur. These include centres, corridors, industrial and urban services land, health and education precincts, office precincts and transport interchanges. This District Plan provides further detail on locations where economic growth and investment are being planned for.
Job targets for strategic centres will guide councils and State agencies to the potential scale of growth and inform land use and infrastructure planning.
Parramatta
Already, more than 35 per cent of all jobs in the District are in Greater Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, Norwest and Blacktown. Jobs are also concentrated in the strategic centres of Mount Druitt, Marsden Park, Rouse Hill, Castle Hill and Epping (refer to Figure 15).
Growing strategic centres, and creating efficient transport connections, and safe and convenient walking and cycling routes, will deliver a 30-minute city.
Integrating job growth with new or enhanced transport infrastructure will deliver a wellconnected region improving business-to-business transactions and enabling skilled workers to access a larger number of jobs.
For the Central City District, productivity can be improved by the following Planning Priorities:
C7. Growing a stronger and more competitive Greater Parramatta
C8. Delivering a more connected and competitive GPOP Economic Corridor
C9. Delivering integrated land use and transport planning and a 30-minute city
C10. Growing investment, business opportunities and jobs in strategic centres
C11. Maximising opportunities to attract advanced manufacturing and innovation in industrial and urban services land
C12. Supporting growth of targeted industry sectors.