Greater Sydney Commission plan for Canterbury-Bankstown sets target of 13,250 new dwellings in five years, 19,900 new jobs

A DRAFT plan by Greater Sydney Commission predicts 142,000 more residents in Canterbury-Bankstown by 2036. There is a five-year target of 13,250 new dwellings.

Newly formed Greater Sydney Commission has ambitious plans for Canterbury-Bankstown.

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POWERFUL new plans to accelerate development and job creation in Canterbury-Bankstown have set a target of more than 13,000 new dwellings in just five years.

Greater Sydney Commission’s draft southern district plan, released today, also sets a target of 19,900 new jobs in the region within 20 years.

But the new independent planning body’s sweeping vision for Sydney’s future also touches on the looming challenges in dealing with booming population, predicting 142,400 more residents in Canterbury-Bankstown by 2036.

South district commissioner Morris Iemma said the aim was to achieve a “co-ordinated” approach to city planning.

“These plans are about intergenerational equity — making places and jobs for our children and grandchildren to live their lives here,” he said.

Former NSW premier Morris Iemma is the commissioner for the Greater Sydney Commission southern district.

To boost housing supply, a five-year target of 13,250 new dwellings has been set for Canterbury-Bankstown, blowing out to 83,500 across the entire southern district in 20 years.

The district plan, which also takes in the Sutherland and Georges River local government areas, doesn’t specify exactly how this would be achieved, instead putting pressure on councils to identify barriers to achieving the targets.

UNSW City Futures Research Centre director Professor Bill Randolph said some housing supply would come from developments “already in the pipeline”, but added creating many dwellings in a short space of time could prove difficult.

“If the market happens to go into a downturn in the next two or three years then those targets are going to be difficult to generate,” he told TheExpress.

“I think there is some good thinking on the street level, the issue for us on the ground is how that strategic plan is implemented on the ground.”

UNSW city planning professor Bill Randolph says developers won’t be pleased with the commission’s affordable housing plans.

One breakthrough outlined in the plans is a requirement for new developments to have five to 10 per cent of their floor space set aside for affordable housing that would be rented at below market rates by households earning less than $67,600 per year.

Income figures from the 2011 Census show 41.5 per cent of households in the Bankstown area and 43.4 per cent in the Canterbury area earned less than $48,000 per year.

Prof Randolph said it was positive affordable housing was “suddenly central” to Sydney’s planning but conceded developers wouldn’t be happy with the move.

Meanwhile, the commission wants to create 12,900 new jobs in Bankstown centre, 2,700 in Campsie centre and 4,300 in the Bankstown Airport precinct.

It says this would capitalise on new transport infrastructure like the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro rail line.

Employment planning would focus on a new 30-minute homework rule, to cut down the daily commutes of residents.

South West Bankstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive Wally Mehanna said in general terms “anything to encourage private and public investment in our region is worthy of support”.

The plan will be exhibited until March 31, 2017.

Submissions can be made atgreater.sydney.

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