Growing and investing in health and education precincts

As outlined in A Metropolis of Three Cities, the evolution of health and education precincts follow a Maturity Pathway¹⁴. As precincts evolve, the economic productivity of the precinct increases substantially. This corresponds to three general models, which become progressively more complex: Clusters, Precincts and Innovation Districts (refer to Figure 16).

The Frenchs Forest health and education precinct currently corresponds to the Cluster model. The St Leonards health and education precinct is further along the Maturity Pathway at the Precinct stage. There will need to be tailored responses along the Maturity Pathway based on what is already in place and what is required in the short, medium and long term. To be truly internationally competitive and achieve sufficient critical mass, it is not expected that all precincts should, or will be able to, develop into an Innovation District.

Housing location and choice for key workers and students are important considerations, and in this regard are considered economic infrastructure.

Macquarie Park

The strategic centre of Macquarie Park is a health and education precinct. The centre contains Macquarie University and Macquarie University Hospital. Macquarie Hospital and CSIRO Lindfield are nearby.

Macquarie Park is the largest non-CBD office market in Australia with 854,254 square metres of office floor space (January 2014) and continues to develop. It has grown as a major centre for knowledge-intensive employment and now accounts for one-third of jobs in the centre¹⁵.

In 2016, the centre was estimated to include approximately 58,500 jobs. Wholesale trade, professional, scientific and technical services and information, media and telecommunications are significant employment sectors in the centre. Maintaining a high quality commercial core will allow continued growth of the precinct as a major employment hub¹⁶.

The centre includes Macquarie Centre shopping precinct and is serviced by three train stations with links to Chatswood and Epping and local and regional bus services. The potential for improved future connections with Parramatta and the District's other strategic centres including Frenchs Forest would present further opportunities in the area.

Transport for NSW has plans to upgrade transport services within the area. These include:

• faster and more efficient interchanges between buses, trains and taxis
• provision of continuous kerbside bus lanes along Herring Road (between Ivanhoe Place and Waterloo Road), Waterloo Road (between Cottonwood Crescent and Lane Cove Road), and southbound on Lane Cove Road (between Waterloo Road and Epping Road); and
• intersection upgrades.

Stage 1 of these works started late in 2017 and will be completed before the rail conversion shutdown in late 2018. Stage 2 improvement works will commence after Metro Rail commences operation in 2019.

Macquarie Park is identified as a place where the Greater Sydney Commission will chair the collaboration process, given its important health and education uses.

It is an Urban Renewal Area including Macquarie University (Herring Road) Precinct, North Ryde Station Precinct and Macquarie Park Investigation Area.

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment is leading planning in this area, in collaboration with the Commission, City of Ryde Council, NSW Health, Macquarie University, Macquarie Centre, Transport for NSW, NSW Roads and Maritime Services, and Department of Industry.

St Leonards

The strategic centre of St Leonards is a health and education precinct. St Leonards has a range of significant metropolitan health and education assets, including the Royal North Shore Hospital, North Shore Private Hospital and TAFE NSW St Leonards campus.

There is potential to leverage the Royal North Shore public and private hospitals and the Mater Hospital to grow jobs in complementary health services and existing education facilities.

St Leonards is a mixed-use centre with high-rise offices, and high density residential development. The Artarmon employment area is a highly productive industrial area with a very low vacancy rate¹⁷.

A vibrant restaurant and retail strip is located along Willoughby Road, Crows Nest which provides a vibrant night-time economy.

The area is well served by public transport with St Leonards Station and nearby Artarmon Station. The importance of the precinct as a key employment centre in Greater Sydney combined with the new Sydney Metro station proposed at Crows Nest, presents an opportunity for renewal and activation.

St Leonards is identified as a place where the Greater Sydney Commission will chair the collaboration process given its important health and education uses.

St Leonards-Crows Nest is a Planned Precinct with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment leading planning in this area, in collaboration with the Commission, North Sydney, Willoughby and Lane Cove councils, NSW Health, Transport for NSW, NSW Roads and Maritime Services, Department of Industry and TAFE NSW.

Frenchs Forest

The strategic centre of Frenchs Forest is a health and education precinct. The Northern Beaches Hospital development will anchor a new health and education precinct for the North District and Greater Sydney. The hospital is due to be completed in 2018 and will provide knowledge-intensive jobs, innovation and service delivery. The NSW Government is upgrading roads around the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

The new hospital and improved transport links will be a catalyst for revitalisation of the area and the creation of a vibrant town centre with new homes and jobs.

Frenchs Forest is identified as a place where the Greater Sydney Commission will chair the collaboration process, given the important health uses that are proposed.

Frenchs Forest is a Planned Precinct with the NSW Department of Planning leading planning of the area in collaboration with the Commission, NSW Health, NSW Department of Education, Transport for NSW and NSW Roads and Maritime Services.