Extracts from "City of Cities - A Plan for Sydney's Future"
2. STRONG GLOBAL ECONOMIC CORRIDOR The corridor of
concentrated jobs and activity in centres, from North Sydney to Macquarie Park
and the City to Airport and Port Botany has been the powerhouse of Sydney and Australia’s
economy. Sufficient zoned land will be provided for business and enterprise in
locations with high quality transport access. [Page 8]
7. CONNECTED CENTRES The transport network will be expanded
and improved to provide access to jobs and services in the global economic
corridor. Investment in the rail network and strategic bus corridors will
provide faster and direct public transport linking suburban centres and areas
where jobs are concentrated. [Page 9]
GLOBAL ECONOMIC
CORRIDOR The corridor of
concentrated jobs and activities in centres from North Sydney to Macquarie Park
and from the City to Airport and Port Botany, will remain the powerhouse of Australia’s
economy. [Page 11]
HISTORY OF SYDNEY’S GROWTH …Over the last 15
to 20 years, the global economic corridor - described as Sydney’s ‘global arc’
(the concentration of linked jobs and gateway infrastructure from Macquarie
Park through Chatswood, St Leonards, North Sydney and the CBD to Sydney Airport
and Port Botany) - has emerged as a critical feature of Sydney and Australia’s
economy. This corridor has been built on the benefits that businesses involved
in such areas as finance, legal services, information technology, engineering
and marketing have derived from being near to each other and to transport
infrastructure such as the airport. It has been reinforced by the motorway
system focused on the Eastern Distributor linking across the harbour, and by
the high amenity and services available in and around the CBD. Within the
existing areas of the city, new medium density development has increased. Many
inner city areas, including Surry Hills, Ultimo, Glebe, Erskineville and
Marrickville, have become desirable locations and shops and village centres
have been revitalised. Old industrial sites have been converted to residential
development. Much of this development has been backed up with new
infrastructure such as at Homebush
Bay for the Olympics, the
new Airport link and new road connections. [Page 33]
ECONOMY & EMPLOYMENT INTRODUCTION Sydney
is Australia’s only global
city, with 30 per cent of national employment in financial and business
services and nearly half of Australia
and New Zealand’s
top 500 companies. Its economy is comparable in size to Singapore and larger than New Zealand’s.
As Sydney’s
population and economy grows, additional jobs will be created, mainly by the
private sector. There are projected to be up to 500,000 additional jobs in Sydney by 2031, to a
total of 2.5 million jobs. Almost half of all new jobs are expected to be
located in Western Sydney and a further 30 per cent in the global economic
corridor from Macquarie Park to the City through to Sydney Airport
and Port Botany. The Strategy will plan for this anticipated growth. [Page 39]
KEY FACTS … • There are around 700,000 jobs in the global
economic corridor, commonly known as the global arc, stretching between
Macquarie Park, Sydney CBD and Sydney Airport. There are almost 700,000 jobs in
Western Sydney. … • Seventeen per cent of jobs
in Western Sydney are in finance, banking and
business services, compared with 51 per cent in the global economic corridor.
[Page 42]
SYDNEY’S COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS • The concentration of
globally competitive industries, including finance and business services,
tourism, education, information industries, design and advanced manufacturing
are in the global economic corridor, stretching from Macquarie Park to Sydney
Airport and Port Botany. … • Sydney has
a number of strategic specialised centres, business parks and knowledge
precincts including Macquarie Park, Westmead, Sydney Education and Health
(Australian Technology Park, Sydney University, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital,
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney Institute of Technology, St Vincent’s
Darlinghurst Health Precinct), Norwest Business Park, and Randwick Education
and Health. [Page 44]
SPACIAL DYNAMICS IN SYDNEY’S ECONOMY …More jobs are
concentrated in office, business and technology parks, particularly in the
global economic corridor. This corridor encompasses Macquarie
Park, Chatswood, St Leonards, North
Sydney in the north; the Sydney CBD and Pyrmont–Ultimo, and major research,
health and education facilities, residential and industrial areas; and Sydney Airport
and Port Botany to the south. Around 700,000 of Sydney jobs are located in the global
economic corridor. A key aim of this Strategy is to build on the strengths of
the global economic corridor and to grow 150,000 new jobs in this corridor over the life of the Metropolitan Strategy
[Page 46]
SKILLED OCCUPATIONS - Around 80 per cent of the jobs growth
in net full–time jobs over the decade 1991–2001 was in skilled occupations.
Most of these jobs are located in the global economic corridor. There is also
some growth emerging in major centres and Regional Cities including Penrith and
Parramatta. [Page
49]
MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORT AND WHOLESALE TRADE - There has
been a long–term trend for manufacturing and logistics employment to shift
towards the western suburbs, with particular concentrations around Wetherill Park
and the area known as the Western Sydney Employment Hub, incorporating the
State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) No. 59 employment lands near the
former Australia’s
Wonderland site at Blacktown.
Manufacturing, transport and warehousing activity is concentrated along major
transport corridors and arterial roads such as the Hume Highway, M5 and the M7. Planning for
improved links between Sydney
Airport, Port Botany and
the manufacturing and distribution industries are a priority of the Economy and
Employment Strategy. [Page 49]
A1.8 ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESS PARKS
Sydney has experienced strong growth in technology and business parks. They include Macquarie Park, the Australia Centre, Australian Technology Park, Norwest Business Park, Auslink Corporate Park, Frenchs Forest and Rhodes. Business parks have a role to play in the economic competitiveness of Sydney. Areas such as the successful Macquarie Park and Norwest have had strong employment growth in the last five to 10 years. They are recognised as significant concentrations of employment and the Metropolitan Strategy has identified them as specialised centres. Business Parks can provide:
• A–grade office space at competitive
prices; • purpose designed buildings for long tenancy, including for example
wetlab space and front of house facilities; • on–site parking; • on–site
amenities; • prestige and marketable image for occupants; • clean suburbs and
proximity to a skilled labour pool; • opportunities for large corporations to
custom build their headquarters; • modernised facilities with premium office
space, flexible floor plates, cutting edge communication technology and
recreational amenities; and • opportunities to collocate business
administration and warehouse needs. [Page 66]
A2.1ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK TO SUPPORT
INNOVATION ACROSS SYDNEY
A2.1.1 Work with the Premier’s Council on
Science, Innovation, Economic Development and Trade to prepare an Innovation
Strategy focusing on boosting innovation activities at key locations. The
Premier’s Council on Science, Innovation, Economic Development and Trade will
be established in early 2006 to oversee the development of an Innovation
Strategy to expand the Greater Metropolitan Region’s innovative capacity
consistent with the principles and directions of the Metropolitan Strategy. It
will later be expanded to include a whole of State Innovation Strategy for NSW.
The Council, chaired by the Premier, will include representatives from
industry, knowledge institutions and finance. It will be supported by a reference
group to ensure diverse representation and consultation, including business
leaders and unions. The Innovation Strategy will be released in November 2006. [Page
68]
The Innovation Strategy will
focus on the geographic locations and infrastructure where knowledge and
innovation activity is concentrated. This includes the following: • Global
Sydney, the specialised centres and Regional Cities, in particular those
containing the seven Sydney based biomedical hubs (Darlinghurst, Randwick,
Westmead, Central Sydney, St Leonards, North Sydney and Liverpool); •
educational institutes (TAFEs, universities and colleges); • technology parks
(such as Australian Technology Park); • Western Sydney (information and
communication technologies, manufacturing); • North Ryde (significant
information and communication technologies, biotechnology biomedical device and
pharmaceutical industry clusters); • North Shore biomedical; • magnet
infrastructure (in addition to universities and hospital associated hubs noted
above); • UWS/Campbelltown Clinical School; • Westmead BioHub; and • Elizabeth
Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Camden. The Strategy will also focus on
enhancing cross– regional connectivity through measures such as: • formal
linkages between relevant activities (for example, the hubs which comprise
universities, research institutions and hospitals, which are not always
collocated but are interlinked); • the creation of formal networks between
groups in different disciplines/sectors, which are working towards one end (for
example, clinical networks comprising fundamental research, clinical research,
public health/health services research and informatics groups); •
research/business networks; and • information and communication technologies
infrastructure. [Page 69]
A3 IMPROVE
OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCESS TO JOBS FOR DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES To sustain
itself as a successful global city, Sydney’s
residents must have an opportunity to share in the benefits of growth and
development. Increasing employment and workforce participation is an important
component of reducing the significant economic disadvantage facing vulnerable
groups including single parents, aboriginal communities and people with
disabilities. According to the Department of Housing, at the 2001 Census, unemployment
rates for public housing tenants were 30.5 per cent in comparison to the NSW
average at the time of 7.2 per cent. In addition, recent data from the
Australian Bureau of Statistics demonstrates that the majority of public
housing estates fall in the five per cent most disadvantaged neighbourhoods in
NSW. This data reinforces the importance of considering location as well as
people in the development of employment opportunities. [Page 74]
EMBED
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS The NSW Government is
committed to ensuring that individuals have the skills necessary to access the
local employment opportunities emerging from major redevelopment projects. Action is required to
ensure that, wherever possible, major development projects include skills
training for local people in the field. This should be a key objective for
housing and other items of the built environment. In this respect, the ADI
redevelopment site at St Mary’s is a good example. A skilling and employment
centre has been established on the site to develop strategies to ensure that
there is adequate labour supply available at the end of redevelopment. The
Department of Housing has been working with the developers to develop specific
strategies to engage local social housing residents. [Page 74]
INCREASE INTEGRATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND
HOUSING MARKETS
Housing markets data indicates a sustained
decline in the supply of affordable housing for both home purchase and private
rental housing for low and moderate income households across the metropolitan
area. The Centre for Affordable Housing is working with the Department of
Planning to develop a local government housing kit which will develop a
methodology and other tools for local councils to assess housing demand and the
housing market supply response. This will enable councils to target the type of
housing diversity that is required in their local area and subregion. The
Housing Strategy includes actions related to affordable housing. This includes
requiring councils to assess local housing needs, including affordable housing,
and providing options for councils to utilise affordable housing planning
mechanisms. [Page 76]
ENCOURAGE EMERGING BUSINESSES
A key driver for economic and
employment growth is the successful start–up and establishment of small
businesses. Many prospective entrepreneurs find rental costs prohibitive,
particularly in inner city areas. Lack of business support such as secretarial
and administrative services, technical back–up and business advice impedes the
growth of a number of promising small businesses. Establishing business
incubators has been one way of addressing these issues. This is an area where
councils have a prominent role to play. Business incubators are designed to
assist new and growing businesses to become established and profitable by
providing premises, services and business support. One of the aims is to
address the tendency for failure in start–up businesses. There is usually a one
to three year incubation period, during which time the fledgling business
becomes established before graduating into the wider business community. A3.3.1
Support the creation of emerging businesses through providing best practice
advice, development controls, subregional planning, appropriate affordable
premises in high economic growth areas through the Stronger Centres Initiative.
The NSW Government, in partnership with councils, will assist the creation of
emerging businesses through provision of low rental premises for start–up and
small firms, by: • providing information on examples of best practice from
Australia and overseas; • establishing appropriate development controls; and •
preparing a package of related business support. The Business Enterprise Centre
network which supports emerging businesses will be asked to provide assistance
in this task. Councils will be encouraged to consider which centres including
villages with underutilised shop tops and areas along enterprise corridors
might be included in plans for emerging business. The NSW Government will work
with councils, in consultation with community and church groups, to identify
surplus buildings that could be utilised to provide low rental activity centres
with an employment and learning component. In implementing the Stronger Centres
Initiative (refer to the Centres and Corridors Strategy) the possibility of
designating or identifying spaces and opportunities for emerging businesses
will be a key consideration in strategic centres. [Page 77]
ENSURE SUFFICIENT COMMERCIAL OFFICE SITES IN STRATEGIC CENTRES
B3.4.1 Protect existing core commercial areas in strategic
centres. Core commercial areas around rail stations will be protected from
conversion to other uses in all Regional Cities and existing and potential
Major Centres until future office floorspace needs in these locations have been
assessed and planned for as part of the subregional planning to be undertaken
with councils. If necessary, Ministerial Directions may be used to manage
proposed rezonings. [Page 103]
B3.4.2 Create redevelopment opportunities for business space in the global economic corridor. In Sydney City and the global economic corridor, there are documented capacity constraints. The Government will ensure there are sufficient strategic sites available and infrastructure capacity to support the growth of these commercial office markets, particularly in North Sydney, Sydney City, East Darling Harbour, City South, Redfern and at rail stations in the City to Airport Corridor. The Property Disposal Assessment Panel will also prioritise the use of Government assets to increase land supply for commercial development consistent with other objectives. The Government will review the Strata Title Act to facilitate the redevelopment of strata titled properties. A key issue to address is the proportion of owners required to agree to the sale of a property. [Page 103]
B3.4.3 Identify, protect and promote sites for large scale
development in strategic centres. In many centres development of key sites can
act as a catalyst for additional development. Developers may be risk averse
when it comes to being the first to undertake a significant development in a
relatively untested market. As part of the Stronger Centres Initiative, sites
which might have development potential will be identified. The State Government
can then encourage councils and owners to facilitate development on particular
sites by, for example, preparing appropriate site development controls,
assisting with architecture and design, preparing site development prospectus
material, marketing to key property brokers or development interests and ‘fast
tracking’ approvals. [Page 103]
B5.1 ESTABLISH A STRONGER CORRIDORS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
INITIATIVE
The global economic corridor covers a number of local
government areas, includes high value rail, road, health and other public
investments, high amenity areas and high land values. In this economic climate
it is not surprising that there are a range of competing interests. The
importance of the corridor to the economy demands that a sound structure
planning framework is in place for future development. The economic strength of
the corridor is built on strong planning decisions made in the past, for
example, designating and protecting Macquarie Park as a key employment area
next to the university, identifying North Sydney as a commercial growth centre
in post war planning documents, dedicating sites for iconic developments such
as the Opera House and Darling Harbour in the City, and for Fox Studios at
Moore Park, and providing for airport and port related uses adjacent to these
infrastructure assets.
The need for strategic land use planning is evidenced by the
following: • the turnover of land for residential uses is ‘squeezing’ out vital
economic activities within the City to Airport corridor; • sites for commercial
development in Chatswood, with its excellent rail infrastructure, are also now
limited due to residential development; • congestion is looming in and around
Port Botany as industrial activity and residential development intensifies; and
• a key issue is the development on Sydney Airport land, which is controlled by
the Commonwealth. New retail and commercial developments on airport land,
unrelated to the core airport function are creating inappropriate pressure on
State and local infrastructure and there are no institutional planning or
regulatory mechanisms to manage these impacts. The Strategy designates the
airport as a Specialised Centre. This means its important role in the
metropolitan economy should be promoted. It also means that the broader
precinct should be carefully planned. Commercial development is appropriate
around the rail station at Mascot. Elsewhere development should be focussed on
business activities that support or relate to the core airport function. [Page 108]
HOUSING
INTRODUCTION
The Government
recognises housing affordability is a concern for existing and future
households in Sydney.
The Strategy includes the release of additional lands to ensure limited supply
does not further reduce affordability as well as specific actions to increase
the amount of housing available for households with low to moderate income
levels. Housing affordability is a complex interrelated set of issues and, in
recognition of this complexity, the Government established an Interdepartmental
Committee in September 2005 to advise on improving housing affordability in
NSW. The Interdepartmental Committee will consider ways to: • improve the
affordability of housing in general, which includes the cost of construction
and the supply of serviced land; • build the capacity of not for profit
affordable housing providers, including the community housing sector; • develop
specific policy responses for special needs groups, including seniors and the
disabled; • deliver a supply of land and dwellings to affordable housing
providers for development and operation; • improve access to affordable housing
(owned and rented) for moderate and lower income groups in addition to social
housing; and • ensure Sydney remains an accessible place for young people and
for families to live and work. [Page 119]
LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING For many households on
higher incomes, the decision to buy a more expensive dwelling, or invest in
home improvements, is a lifestyle choice or investment decision. The affordability
of housing has its greatest impact on those living on lower incomes. Low and
moderate income households make up more than half of Sydney’s total. The proportion of households
that rent their home continues to grow and now exceeds the proportion of all
households that are home purchasers. Rental affordability pressures in Sydney’s housing markets
are increasing. Rent growth continues for well located housing in the inner and
middle rings of Sydney,
due largely to their high levels of access and amenity. There is a long-term
trend to declining amounts of low cost stock in the private rental market. This
is creating more demand for social housing and other forms of housing
assistance. Low cost housing stocks are declining and there has been a decrease
in real terms in Commonwealth funding for the social housing sector. Government
policy will focus on households with an income of $72,100 or less. This is 120
per cent of the median household income. It is estimated that 114,179 private
renters and 58,898 purchasers with incomes less than the $72,100 benchmark in Sydney are in housing
stress. This indicates that 54 percent of all private renters and 39 percent of
purchasers in the low to moderate income range are experiencing ‘housing
stress’. Housing stress is when these moderate to low income households spend
more than 30 percent of their income on housing. The State Government provides
public housing for many lower income households, through the Commonwealth State
Housing Agreement. The provision of housing through this and other dedicated
programs recognises that the market is unlikely to be able to directly provide
affordable housing to the most disadvantaged. For the purpose of the NSW
Government strategy, affordable housing includes housing schemes and other
measures that aim to reduce housing cost stress for households that rent or are
purchasing their homes, or combinations of both. The NSW Government will focus
on households with a gross income of up to 120 per cent of the median income,
who are spending 30 per cent or more of their gross household income on
housing. The measures to be considered by the Government will be designed to
improve affordability for these households. [Page 127]
IMPROVE
AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING
C4.1.5
Incorporate housing affordability objectives in urban renewal planning, and
encourage agencies responsible for urban renewal to assess impacts on the
affordability of housing and use mitigative measures. The redevelopment and
renewal of existing urban areas, around the world has been accompanied by
reduced affordability of housing in those areas. The
Government will continue to encourage agencies to assess the impact of renewal
on the affordability of housing and on affordable rental stock in particular in
a renewal area. In NSW there have been a number of programs established to
specifically address the issue of displacement of lower income households as a
result of urban renewal.
The City West Affordable Housing Company was established to address this issue specifically and provides a good model for mechanisms and programs to maintain levels of affordable housing, particularly rental stock in an affected area. The Government will expect agencies proposing renewal to assess the affordability of housing in an area proposed for renewal and adjoining areas. These agencies may be the local government that is proposing rezoning to higher densities, the Department of Housing, the Department of Planning in strategic centres, Landcom or other agencies such as the Redfern Waterloo Authority and the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. Landcom already has a policy of aiming to have at least 7.5 per cent of its projects affordable for moderate income households and has developed a thorough methodology for analysis, planning and delivery.
The Centre for Affordable Housing, a Business Unit of the Department of Housing, has been established to address housing affordability issues. The Centre pursues this objective in a number of ways: • Researching trends in housing affordability to inform policy responses and initiatives; • Working with Councils to include affordable housing in their strategies, and in specific residential development schemes; • Providing a brokerage and feasibility service to proponents of affordable housing projects;
• Sponsoring affordable housing demonstration projects; • Working with partners to deliver affordable housing in a range of major development schemes; and • Monitoring the development of products which promote housing affordability in the private sector.
The
Department of Housing already has a policy that there is no reduction in the
accommodation it provides to very low income households. The community housing
sector is a relatively new provider of housing in NSW, but if integrated into
the planning and delivery of urban renewal has the potential to play a much
larger role. The best known example is the City West Housing Company (refer to
case study on page 126) [Page
146]
REDEVELOP AND REGENERATE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING STOCK
C4.2.1
The Department of Housing will redevelop and regenerate housing estates and
stock. The
Department of Housing (DoH) has significant land holdings in the metropolitan
area. Many of the dwellings in estates are not as appropriate for the needs of
current DoH tenants as when they were first developed. Redevelopment of these
estates presents the opportunity to renew the department’s stock whilst
creating additional housing.
The State Government has announced its first social housing redevelopment project in partnership with the private sector, the Bonnyrigg Living Communities Project, a plan for community renewal of the Bonnyrigg public housing estate. It will involve changes in the layout of the streets, improved open space, the replacement or upgrading of Department of Housing homes and the building of new houses and flats. It will also involve developing a mixed community of public and private housing whilst maintaining or increasing the amount of public housing.
Through these initiatives with other agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Training, it will aim to revitalise and build more sustainable communities and provide better social and additional affordable housing. New initiatives in partnership will:
• replace inappropriate social housing stock;
• reduce high concentrations of public housing to build a better social mix;
• reduce maintenance liabilities; and
• implement best practice in urban design.
In
these initiatives, its partners will be encouraged to invest in private and
social housing infrastructure, thereby assisting the Department of Housing in
redeveloping and regenerating its housing, as well as creating new stock. [Page 148]
D2.3 IMPROVE
THE INTEGRATION OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT
… As part of the Redfern Waterloo Authority’s work, Redfern
station will be investigated for upgrading to provide better services for this
redeveloping area. At Wolli Creek station, possible extra platforms will better
serve growth in the CBD–Sydney
Airport corridor and
provide easier interchange between services on the Airport and Illawarra lines.
A new station may be built on the Richmond
line, in the Nirimba area. [Page 177]
TRANSPORT ISSUES IN CORRIDORS
CBD—AIRPORT CORRIDOR The CBD–Airport corridor already has a
very high level of transport activity within it, with major flows of people and
goods to and from the CBD, the Airport and Port Botany, all of which are expected
to continue to grow significantly. Major growth in dwellings and employment in
Redfern-Waterloo, Green Square
and Mascot will add a further challenge to the transport task. A key challenge
will be managing the impacts of transport investment needed to enhance the
corridor’s economic efficiency on the communities within it. There has been
much investment in road and rail systems serving north–south movements. As the
corridor grows and changes, transport constraints increasingly will occur in
systems serving east-west trips. Major transport works underway include bus
priority measures in the CBD; Rail Clearways; arterial road improvements; and
negotiations with Sydney Airport Corporation regarding transport to support its
proposed expansion of the Airport. [Page P197]
E2.4 PROTECT ABORIGINAL CULTURAL
HERITAGE The Sydney
region contains a richness of Aboriginal archaeological sites and cultural
values that are poorly understood. There is an ongoing cumulative loss of these
sites and values as a result of Sydney’s
urban expansion and there is an increasing demand from the community for their
consideration and protection. The work necessary to identify areas of strategic
significance is already being undertaken in some areas as part of the
Government’s Comprehensive Coastal Assessment. As part of this process,
Regional Aboriginal Cultural Landscape Plans are being prepared for coastal
regions extending from Wollongong to the
Victorian border and from Gosford to the Queensland
border. Working with local indigenous communities to identify places of
regional Aboriginal cultural heritage significance will not only provide better
cultural heritage outcomes, but it will also provide greater certainty for
developers. Completing the work up front will facilitate future development in
appropriate locations, thereby reducing procedural delays and removing the need
for lengthy site–by–site assessments.
E2.4.1 Identify areas of regional cultural significance, commencing with the Hawkesbury– Nepean catchment to provide a context for future land use planning and decision making. The Cultural Landscapes Assessment Methodology, developed by the Department of Planning in conjunction with Aboriginal communities across NSW, will apply regionally, commencing with the Hawkesbury–Nepean catchment. This will provide the regional context for Aboriginal cultural and community values and will identify areas of regional cultural significance to be considered in future land use planning and decision making processes.
E2.4.2 Develop Aboriginal Heritage Assessment Protocols. An Aboriginal Heritage Assessment Protocol will combine archaeological and cultural values in order to ensure better land use planning processes and decision making. The protocol will direct matters such as methodology and level of survey effort required, community consultation, data collection for research purposes and management actions for sensitive areas.
E2.4.3 Involve Aboriginal communities in the identification
of regionally significant Aboriginal cultural heritage and the development of
an Aboriginal Heritage Assessment Protocols. Two Ways Together the State
Government’s blueprint for engaging with Aboriginal Communities will ensure
thorough consultation is the foundation for an assessment protocol. E2.4.4
Develop Heritage Permits under the Department of Environment and Conservation’s
Aboriginal Heritage Reforms Package for local plans. This action will enable
Aboriginal heritage issues to be considered early in the planning process when
land use decisions are being made. Similar to the biodiversity certification
process, the proposed reform will provide greater certainty and efficiency for
the consideration of Development Applications by landowners [Page 215]
CENTRES DEFINITIONS – STATE STRATEGIC CENTRES - GLOBAL SYDNEY
The main focus for national and international business, professional
services, specialised health and education precincts, specialised shops and tourism,
Global Sydney is also a recreation and entertainment destination for the Sydney region and has
national significance.
Global Sydney retains a dominant role in Sydney in terms of employment, economic and social activity. Global Sydney is divided into two important centres, Sydney CBD and North Sydney, and a number of precincts: Kings Cross, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst/St Vincent’s to the east, and Pyrmont/Ultimo and the city knowledge precincts to the south and west of the CBD. These precincts have high levels of employment which support the city and also have distinct roles and identities including a residential ‘village’ atmosphere.
This area is referred to as Global Sydney because it is recognised as the global hub of the Australian economy. In the 1960s, the city spread northward over the Harbour Bridge to Milsons Point and North Sydney. North Sydney is the largest non–CBD centre in Australia. In the 1990s, major development around Darling Harbour prompted a shift to CityWest. There is now southward pressure on the Sydney CBD and increasingly along the City to Airport corridor. Half of Sydney’s jobs in the strategic centres are located in the two centres of Global Sydney.
Wealth creation in Global Sydney is driven largely by global links. Around 380,000 people are employed in Global Sydney, representing 20 per cent of the total jobs in the Sydney area. Employment has been growing strongly over the past decade with jobs concentrated in high growth areas such as finance and business services, tourism and hospitality, information industries, creative industries, retail, education and multimedia.
Around 70 per cent of people working in the Sydney CBD use active transport — public transport, cycling and walking —to travel to work.
Around 50,000 new jobs were created in Sydney CBD between 1991 and 2001 alone and 70,000 in total in Global Sydney. The area has a high concentration of knowledge–based jobs — jobs with high skill levels, higher education, responsibility and attractive salaries. More than half of the Global Sydney workforce has a post high school qualification.
The city knowledge precincts which include the Redfern–Waterloo area and incorporate the Australian Technology Park, Sydney University, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Technology Sydney and Sydney Institute of Technology, are major activity precincts for education, research and technology based jobs.
North Sydney developed a strong competitive advantage due to the surrounding high skilled and high income residential areas, access to the Sydney CBD, and proximity to the harbour. The centre developed clusters of activities around IT, advertising and business service industries. More recently, the centre has faced increasing competition from business parks such as Macquarie Park and Norwest, as well as Sydney CBD and Pyrmont–Ultimo. The centre is confronting a number of challenges including older building stock, transport impediments and amenities in the centre.
Strong employment growth of 60,000 jobs is
forecast for Global Sydney to 2031 though at a slower rate than in the past
decade, due to rapidly growing regions and business parks, and Government
policy to strengthen Sydney
as a multicentred city. Global Sydney’s
share of total jobs in existing strategic centres will decline from around 50
per cent to 44 per cent over the life of the Metropolitan Strategy. [Page
296]
MAJOR CENTRES - Major Centres are the main shopping and business centre
for a district, with a full scale shopping mall, council offices, taller office
and residential buildings, and central community facilities.
In many cases, Major Centres are the focus for major institutions, principally serving immediate subregional residential populations on located on the fixed rail network. At a minimum, 8,000 jobs are located in these centres, and by 2031, they will generally contain a minimum of 10,000 jobs.
These centres are mostly located on the heavy rail transport network and serviced by local bus networks. The only exceptions are Castle Hill and Dee Why. The new Strategic Bus Corridors will also service these centres. For those not on the heavy rail network, improving public transport is a high priority.
The employment role of centres in growing areas such as Blacktown and Campbelltown will increase in the future. Other major centres expected to grow include Bankstown, Bondi Junction, Burwood, Chatswood, Hornsby and Hurstville. Rouse Hill and Green Square are planned as Major Centres. A number of other locations such as Mount Druitt may grow into major centres over the next 30 years.
Major Centres can be divided into established, planned and potential centres. Established centres are those that have evolved along Sydney’s heavy rail network, and are at different stages in their growth. The established major centres are Bankstown, Blacktown, Bondi Junction, Burwood, Campbelltown, Castle Hill, Chatswood, Dee Why, Gosford, Hornsby, Hurstville, Kogarah and Wyong–Tuggerah.
Planned Major Centres are locations for shopping and services in identified residential growth areas. Examples include Rouse Hill, Green Square and Leppington.
Potential Major Centres are centres with existing assets which may have
increased development in the future. Examples include Sutherland, Cabramatta,
Mt Druitt, Fairfield
and Prairiewood. [Page 298]