Greater Sydney Commission districts redrawn as it plans for future western city

Sydney’s southwest is now part of the Greater Sydney Commission’s vision for its western city – and it is redrawing its districts to match the new strategy.

The Greater Sydney Commission's South West District is now part of their vision for Sydney’s western city.

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Fairfield is now part of the Greater Sydney Commission’s plans for Sydney’s western city following a recent restructure of the organisation’s local districts.

Fairfield and Liverpool were previously part of the planning body’s South West District, but will now come under the Western City District alongside Camden, Blue Mountains, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Penrith and Wollondilly shire.

The new districts reflect plans to create an eastern city where Sydney’s CBD is currently located, a central city around Parramatta, and a western city around the planned Badgerys Creek airport.

A GSC spokeswoman said the Western City District’s creation reflected the importance placed on the region’s future opportunities by the State Government.

“The benefits the merger will bring, in terms of the future Western City’s opportunities and development, will not be at the expense of the local character of the various communities within it,” she said.

“The Commission is now preparing a draft district plan, and from that the local councils will develop their local environmental plans which focus on the various needs and opportunities for their communities.”

The spokeswoman said merging the former west and southwest districts would create the opportunity to plan for the western city as a single unit with a current population of about one million people.

“The community, councils, businesses and local landholders wanted clarity on planning for the new western Sydney airport and the surrounding area,” she said. “The creation of the Western City District will help enhance the benefits of the airport and surrounding aerotropolis for the people of western Sydney and optimise planning processes.”

However, the spokeswoman said this would not come at the expense of the district’s local centres and their specific needs.

The draft Western City District Plan will be placed on public exhibition in early November and public comment will again be sought.