Walker Corporation’s $150m drinking water fix to speed up housing development on southwest Sydney’s fringe

A proposal to build more than 12,000 homes in southwest Sydney will be fast-tracked after an investment agreement was made between state-owned Sydney Water and one of Sydney’s biggest property developers.

Artist impression of an aerial view of the first stage of the Appin Walker community development which will see an additional 12,000 homes built.

 

A proposal to build more than 12,000 homes in southwest Sydney will be fast-tracked after an investment agreement was made between state-owned Sydney Water and one of Sydney’s biggest property developers.

Walker Corporation will pump $150 million into speeding up the delivery of drinking and wastewater infrastructure for new developments in Appin, which could see the infrastructure delivered a decade earlier than originally estimated.

Previous estimates for the normal delivery of water infrastructure from Sydney Water to the Appin development was around 2034.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Sydney Water, Walker and water infrastructure developer coNEXA, the investment will see all parties work to speed up the delivery of water infrastructure so new houses can be built faster.

The partnership between Sydney Water and one of Sydney’s largest property developers could change the way critical housing infrastructure is delivered as the NSW government races to tackle the state’s housing crisis.

Artist impressions of the Walker Appin water facility.

The state government last year rezoned land around Appin paving the way for more than 12,000 new homes to be built.

In addition to the new dwellings the new Appin communities will include the development of more than 1 million square metres of green spaces, including parks, playgrounds and sporting fields and 17km of cycling and hiking trails.

The infrastructure investment comes after local councils last year warned the area was starved of critical supporting infrastructure, including wastewater, public transport and road upgrades.

Walker managing Director and chief executive David Gallant said the new partnership with Sydney Water would ensure Appin communities would have access to essential water infrastructure faster.

“Our integrated approach to water management will include a highly efficient recycled water supply system to provide water to homes and irrigation and flushing to high quality public open spaces,” he said.

Artist impression of a streetscape in a future Appin community to benefit from the proposed Walker Appin water facility.

“By leveraging the expertise of Sydney Water and coNEXA, we’re delivering an innovative solution that maximises the use of recycled water and stormwater for non-potable use, which will reduce demand on drinking water.”

Part of the investment will go towards a Recycled Water Treatment Facility in Appin, with the plan to partner with local universities to further research and develop wastewater treatment technology.

Sydney Water’s Head of Western Sydney Development Paul Higham said the $150 million Walker partnership was exactly the kind of investment Sydney Water wished to attract in the future as it brought no extra cost to consumers.

“We work hard to keep bills as low as possible for our customers, so we welcome this type of

partnership,” Mr Higham said.

“We know new housing is critical right now, and this collaborative relationship will enable the timely delivery of water and wastewater infrastructure for the region.”

CoNEXA chief executive Kurt Dahl, said the company who is also investing capital in the project is thrilled to be playing a role in speeding up water infrastructure in the region.

“Walker’s approach to early planning and delivery of water, wastewater and recycled water infrastructure is to be highly commended,” he said.

“Through working closely with Walker and Sydney Water, we can ensure this infrastructure is delivered on time and provides long-term benefits to residents.”

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