Western Sydney development: 37,000 homes to be fast-tracked by Accelerated Infrastructure Fund

The construction of more than 37,000 homes will be accelerated by the state government for western Sydney, with $139 million to be spent on key infrastructure. See where the development will take place.

The delivery of more than 37,000 new homes will be fast-tracked under state government plans to unlock land in western Sydney.

High growth areas – including Blacktown, The Hills, Hawkesbury, Penrith, Liverpool, Camden, Campbelltown, and Wollondilly – will be supported with a $139 million investment into vital infrastructure.

The funding, which will be split between 24 council-led projects, was provided as part of the second round of the NSW Government’s Accelerated Infrastructure Fund (AIF) which aims to remove red tape and encourage construction activity.

New sports facilities, road construction and design, and drainage improvements will form part of the state government investment.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he was securing a “brighter future for NSW families”.

Aerial view of residential development in western Sydney, NSW.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

“This is about the state government working with local government to unlock land, build critical infrastructure and ultimately deliver thousands of homes across western Sydney,” he said.

“Our strong economic management means we can invest more in communities and build what matters.”

Planning and Homes Minister Anthony Roberts said the projects would create 2200 construction jobs and unlock 570ha of employment land.

“We know people want to live in these areas and that’s why we’re focused on getting homes built, with the right infrastructure in place from the get-go,” he said.

Urban Development Institute of Australia CEO Steve Mann, representing the development industry, said while the announcement was a step in the right direction the housing affordability crisis needed to be addressed.

Urban Development Institute of Australia chief executive Steve Mann

“We need to work through the politics and get to the bottom line which is how we tackle this housing affordability crisis. You really have to ask yourself if we are really in the middle of a housing crisis or at the beginning of one,” he said.

“Infrastructure and integration is how we will get housing on the ground and we need to use the funds available to enable infrastructure and get these emerging cities right.

“We must get every available infrastructure dollar invested into the best projects as quickly as we can, so that local communities get the infrastructure they have been promised with growth.

UDIA says more than $3 billion of developer contributions are currently held by Sydney councils and these funds could be swiftly deployed with government collaboration.

Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue executive director Adam Leto said the investment was welcomed.

“This new fund recognises the importance of having the critical infrastructure in place before new homes are built which is welcome news in western Sydney and helps ensure some of the planning mistakes of the past aren’t repeated,” he said.

“With so many new homes being planned, and expected to be delivered over the next decade, we need to make sure these new communities have access to parks, services and public transport, and this initiative can help achieve that.”

Work on the 24 infrastructure projects will start across the next 18 months.