Sydney CBD to grow as a Global City

Sydney’s CBD and surrounding suburbs have new modern controls developed in partnership between the City of Sydney and the State Government which will encourage investment in Australia’s premier international city.

“The new City of Sydney Local Environmental Plan (LEP) will strengthen the role of the CBD and support existing urban renewal plans,” Planning and Infrastructure Minister Brad Hazzard said.

“The LEP consolidates rules previously applied under three separate planning regimes – the Leichhardt, South Sydney and Sydney LEPs – that have been in place, in some areas, for more than a decade.

“Working with the City of Sydney we are providing almost 50,000 new homes and 52,000 jobs for the heart of Sydney through planning controls in place for the CUB site, the Glebe Affordable Housing Project, Harold Park, Green Square and the City of Sydney,” Mr Hazzard said.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said; “The new city plan distils some 60 planning documents into a single user-friendly document for residents, business and developers.

“It’s the result of extraordinary consultation involving more than 40 studies, reviews and projects over 100 meetings, workshops and presentations to the community and businesses and 105,108 letters.

“The LEP makes a significant contribution to the City’s needs to provide for new homes and jobs whilst at the same time ensuring that we maintain our vision for a sustainable and liveable city valuing our heritage,” Ms Moore said.

Key features of the LEP include:

  • Focusing housing and employment growth in areas like Green Square, and supports existing plans for the delivery of other significant new urban renewal projects.
  • Strengthening the role of the CBD to Airport corridor as one of Sydney’s key industrial and employment areas through greater protection from alternative uses.
  • Supports existing floor space incentives for hotel and motel accommodation in the CBD to service the growing tourist and visitor market, with additional incentives to be investigated following a council review.
  • Recognises the unique heritage values of the city, identifying 62 new items of local heritage significance.

To ensure the LEP is enforced as quickly as possible Mr Hazzard agreed to defer the decision on a number of sites, allowing more detailed investigations into the most appropriate type and scale of construction to be permitted.

This includes the Goodman site in the Ashmore Precinct that prompted significant concerns from the public and the City of Sydney Council.

“The NSW Government contributed $271,000 through its LEP Acceleration Fund to help deliver to Sydney a clear, modern planning control that responds to not only Sydney’s international standing, but its unique local needs,” Mr Hazzard said.

“Residents and businesses of the City of Sydney will be well served by this new LEP for many years to come.”

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