Ryde and Epping to face staggering population increases over the next 20 years

Tens of thousands of new residents will flock to northern district suburbs amid a surge in construction and job creation.

Greenland's huge development project at Lachlan's Line, North Ryde

A POPULATION explosion is set to hit northern district suburbs over the next 20 years, with a staggering 211 per cent rise in Macquarie Park.

The entire Ryde area will see a 34.36 per cent increase from 123,841 this year to 166,431 in 2036, according to statistics from population projectionists profile.id.

However, areas such as Macquarie Park, which is currently home to 8740 residents, will see much larger increases.

Thousands of new units are already being built in the government-designated Herring Rd and Macquarie Park Urban Activation Precincts.

In Macquarie Park, the Lachlan’s Line estate development and the huge high-rise projects on Dehli Rd and Herring Rd, will bring in 27,253 new residents by 2036.

Artists impressions of Lachlan's Line development in Macquarie Park.

Epping, the third precinct targeted for high rise development and which is already well under way, will see an increase of more than 12,000 people, 48.75 per cent more than live there now.

Ryde South, which take in the area east of Church St between Victoria Rd and Morrison Rd, and west of Church St between Bowden St and Church St will jump to 14,654 from 9738 (50.48 per cent).

There are huge projected rises across they city, with Kellyville set to double its population, Box Hill’s jumping by 2032 per cent and rural Campbelltown’s rising from its meagre 2474 to 36,274.

Parramatta’s popula­tion will rise by almost 150 per cent in the biggest increase for any Local Government Area na­tion­wide.

Almost 35,000 people will call the Parramatta CBD home by 2036, up from 14,198 today. North Parramatta is set to grow by 53.8 per cent to 21,964 residents.

Greater Sydney as a whole is set to expand by more than 1.5 million people in just over 20 years, from 5.07 million in 2017 to 6.62 million people in 2040.

Lachlan’s Line, a new urban village located near Macquarie Park in North Ryde

Ryde Mayor Bill Picking said the huge increases in areas such as Macquarie Park and Meadowbank were “understandable”, given the areas were doing “extremely well” in terms of job creation.

“We are now the powerhouse of the NSW and the national economy and we’re outstripping the Sydney CBD,” he said. “The state government needs to start looking at where the population growth and job creation is coming from and address the area’s infrastructure needs.”

Ryde mayor Bill Pickering

He renewed his call on the state government to look at a light rail connection to Parramatta, more bus services to link to key parts of Sydney, and an underground bus interchange that is integrated with the Macquarie University station and access to the Macquarie Centre.

“The government is taking the full benefit of the job creation and GDP being generated,” he said. “But it really needs to put some of that back into area so that it can continue to grow.”