Western Sydney airport: How tall skyscrapers will be in Aerotropolis

Towering skyscrapers reaching up to 20 storeys in height have been revealed in blueprints for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. SEE WHAT THE CITY COULD LOOK LIKE.

Sydney is getting its first real look at the blueprints of towering cityscapes planned for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

The NSW Government has revealed how the five precincts making up the city around the new airport will be laid out and massive building heights proposed for land where cattle once grazed.

The latest Aerotropolis plans revealed skyscrapers south of the Western Sydney Airport — at the core precinct — would reach 70 metres in height, or up to 20 storeys, clustered around Thompsons Creek.

Building heights for the Aerotropolis.

While buildings on the outskirts of the core would drop to 24 metres or five storeys, similar to heights proposed for the Badgerys Creek precinct.

In the Aerotropolis’ Northern Gateway, buildings ranging from 20 to 45m are earmarked to shoulder Luddenham Rd and the M12 Motorway, meaning skyscrapers could reach 12 storeys at the once rural village.

While the region’s Agribusiness precinct will see development restricted to 20m in height.

“The Aerotropolis Plan identifies three main centres,” a government planner said. “The Aerotropolis Core … will be the metropolitan centre.

“The Northern Gateway centre is zoned mixed-use with a focus on innovation, science and

technology. The Sydney Science Park is proposed to be a ‘specialised centre’ (and) Luddenham Village is a distinctive centre with a significant history within the Agribusiness Precinct.”

Nature reserves planned for the city.

Major development could reach 20 storeys high.

The planner said the metropolitan centre would act as a “regional-scale mixed-use centre” featuring retail, services and business activity surrounding a Metro Station proposed on the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line.

Meanwhile, residential, business and community hubs would be pinpointed in local centres within the masterplan.

The blueprint for the Aerotropolis also uncovered the proposed locations of major nature reserves, parks and sportsfields — expected to be weaved into each of the precincts surrounding the airport.

Where parks and playgrounds will be located.

Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest said he was believed the government had jumped the gun on “imposing stringent building heights” on a greenfield city 20 years in the making.

“The government may be trying to provide certainty and confidence for investors in the masterplan, but these investors will also require flexibility as markets change,” he said.

“Our initial feedback to the Greater Sydney Commission was that the government was overplanning for projects that won’t be delivered for more than 10 years — maybe even 20 years.”

Mr Forrest said the government could be “sterilising opportunity” for developers to make the city liveable and feasible.

“The only limitations that should be considered right now is limits imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority,” he said. “There is a creeping desire from NSW Planning to overthink every aspect without flexibility.”

What the city could look like.

Shadow Western Sydney spokesman Greg Warren said hundreds of concerned land owners were meeting with him to raise concerns.

“I am surprised by the heights proposed, but I am more shocked by the lack of consultation with the wider community who are concerned,” he said.

“These plans existing residents have been left out on the majority of consultation right around the Airport and landowners stretching from Luddenham to Orchard Hills and Bringelly are raising their concern.”

Camden resident Jo O’Brien said she feared residents living around the Aerotropolis weren’t being exposed to future plans for the precinct.

“There are still many people who do not realise what the Aerotropolis will involve, how big the plans are, and the impact that could have on the whole area,” she said. “I am also very concerned about the lack of plans for a new public hospital — it makes sense to set aside an area for one at this stage.”

Aerial shots of the Western Sydney Airport site.

A NSW Planning spokesman said input from the developer industry was welcomed.

“The Aerotropolis is the only precinct of its kind in Australia and presents a unique opportunity to design a city from scratch,” the spokesman said.

“Our strategic planning aims to create enough flexibility to allow development, to ensure the Airport connects Sydney to global markets 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while supporting quality of life for people living and working in the new Aerotropolis.”

Exhibition of the draft Aerotropolis plan opened in November, and has been extended until March 12.

“We’ve had an open dialogue with residents and landowners from day one, including frequent consultation and one-on-one meetings,” the Planning spokesman said. “We’ve also established an active and engaged Community Liaison Group that meets regularly, and residents are encouraged to participate.”

Federal Government modelling suggests once the Western Sydney Airport reaches full capacity, planes could fly overhead every three minutes at midnight.