The proposed beating heart of western Sydney’s planned Aerotropolis will deliver 10,000 new homes and millions of square metres of development, but local councils have expressed concern about a lack of infrastructure in the master plan.
The NSW government on Monday released its draft masterplan for the Bradfield City Centre, unveiling plans for the future 114-hectare development on government land near Badgerys Creek Road, Bringelly.
The proposed development contains all key areas for the new city, including homes, streets, roads, city blocks, parks and open space, commercial and retail precincts and “strategies” to deliver the necessary infrastructure.
If approved, the Master Plan will outline a staged approach to more than 2 million square metres gross floor area of development across the city centre, located on the doorstep of the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport.
The government envisages the development, which will be five times the size of Baranagaroo, as a centre for innovation, education and skills development.
Elephant in the room
But Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun, whose LGA encompasses Bradfield and has more than 11,000 hectares dedicated to developments related to the Western Sydney Airport, says the masterplan contains a glaring omission.
“It’s disappointing that the Bradfield master plan ignores the elephant in the room, being investment into infrastructure like roads, water and drainage,” he said in a statement.
Cr Mannoun says the government has also neglected 15th Avenue, the major thoroughfare to the new airport, and the suburb of Austral, where 30,000 new homes will be built.
“It is pointless having scores of new homes if people leave their homes and are then stuck in traffic for hours on end,” he said.
“The state is leaving infrastructure for the aerotropolis in the hands of the local council without adequate resourcing.
“You simply cannot build a new urban city with 80 new buildings in isolation without planning and resourcing the connectivity to southwest Sydney.”
The government must also commit to rapid transit busways to make sure travellers can easily get from the airport to Liverpool, Parramatta or the City, he said.
The government is putting $1 billion into the development and is hoping for billions more in private investment.
Following the exhibition period and if approved, the Department expects that finalisation could occur by mid-2024.
Acting Premier Prue Carr said the master plan demonstrates how investment in the area surrounding the new airport will drive growth and opportunities for Western Sydney.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Western Sydney,” she said in a statement.
Planning minister Paul Scully says it’s the first master plan to be publicly exhibited after progressing through the special aerotropolis master-planning pathway.
“It’s critical we hear directly from the community and stakeholders as we lay the groundwork for significant infrastructure plans,” he said.
“This master plan is a draft blueprint for a world-class city that will support Western Sydney Airport, attract investment, house thousands of people, and create thousands of jobs.”
A spokesperson for Penrith City Council, the other council to be significantly impacted by the aerotropolis development, told Government News it did not have any immediate comments on the master plan.
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People not at all happy with the way labour government is planning for the new airport and Bradfield city development.